Divine
by Chidori Eiso
Summary: Feeling abandoned by Konoha after the Final Valley, Naruto trains under Orochimaru alongside Sasuke. Three years later, he meets a mysterious fox that tells him of a prophecy,one in which he must prevent an unspeakable darkness from overtaking the world.
1. A New Beginning

Hello everyone, I'n White Chidori! I've been reading fanfiction for nearly six months and i figured I'd take a crack at it. Never really written anything outside of school papers, but i feel i did good. (At least i hope...) Anyway, this is my story. Let me know what you think. Since it's my first time, i encourage all kinds of feedback. Praise, criticism, flames, whatever! Just take into consideration that I've never written before you nuke the hell outta me. Enough rambling though, on with the story.

Oops almost forgot, Disclaimer: I don't own anything Naruto related.

* * *

><p>Chapter I: A New Beginning<p>

The sky was darkened by clouds, the terrain was torn up, and a tempest was brought down upon the waters. Overall, the Valley of the End now looked like hell. The cause of said destruction were two young shinobi who were just bringing their battle to a close. Each currently stood at the feet of the great statues that reside in the Valley.

At the foot of Hashirama Senju stood a blonde boy clad in an orange jumpsuit. His eyes were a fiery red that complemented the angry scowl he wore. His body was blanketed in menacing red chakra that took the shape of a fox. He was battered and bruised all over and his left arm hung limply at his side. The air around him was filled with rage and hatred. He was glaring at his opponent.

Across the way, the other boy stood at the base of Madara Uchiha. He wore a high-collared blue shirt and white shorts. His skin was a sickly grey, his hair was now long and pale indigo in color, and a black four-point star rested on the bridge of his nose. His bright red eyes held three tomoe each that circled his irises. Most would recognize this as the Uchiha Clan's Sharingan, one of the three legendary Dōjutsu. A pair of demonic wings sprouted from his back. The air around him was filled with anger and arrogance. He too was glaring at the boy across from him.

At first sight, they would look like the greatest of enemies. But in reality, they were the best of friends. One was seeking to flee their village in search of power to defeat his elder brother while the other was trying to prevent that from happening.

The winged-boy began forming hand signs and lightning sparked to life in his left hand that quickly turned black due to the seal on the back of his neck. The sound of birds chirping echoed throughout the valley. At the same time, the orange boy formed a blue sphere of chakra in his right hand that turned purple from the influence of the demonic shroud. You could hear the surge of power that emanated from the sphere after it was formed. After sending each other one final glare, they leapt at each other intending to end their long, drawn out struggle.

The orange boy put everything he had into his technique. He had to bring his friend back no matter the cost, even if it left him knocking at death's door. Everyone was counting on him. Now was his chance to prove to everyone that was wasn't that incompetent idiot or demon that they made him out to be. Most of all, he made a promise to the girl of his dreams. Even if she didn't return his feelings, he would bring the Uchiha back because it would make her happy and that was good enough for him.

The Uchiha used the last of his power for his attack. He had to leave to village to obtain the necessary strength to eliminate his traitorous brother. But the blonde didn't seem to understand that and was intent on stopping him. Much to his displeasure, he figured the only way he would be able to walk away for good was to kill his friend. He didn't want to but he left him no choice. Killing his brother and avenging his clan were his goals in life, goals that he WOULD fulfill.

Time seemed to slow as they closed the distance between them. The valley grew quite as the end drew closer to one another. It all came down to this. This would end it all. This final clash would settle their rivalry once and for all. One final breath was drawn as they met in mid-air.

"**RASENGAN!**" The blonde boy yelled shooting his good arm forward; putting all put his emotion into his attack in hopes of getting through to his friend.

"**CHIDORI!**" the Uchiha shouted thrusting his hand in front of him; putting his everything into his attack in hopes of severing his last ties to the village.

The powerful techniques met in an abrupt stalemate. The air and excess chakra that each gave off swirled around them from the force of the attacks. The chakras mixed and from a dark cocoon of energy around the boys. The Uchiha's hand was inches away from the blonde's heart. Instead of piercing it with the remnants of his Chidori, he formed a fist at the last second and delivered a forceful punch, knocking him out. The blonde, feeling himself lose consciousness, swung at the Uchiha's head, leaving a scratch on his forehead protector.

The black dome of energy expanded to massive proportions and disrupted the flow of the waterfall behind it. Reaching the apex of its growth, the dome began glow brightly. The white light intensified until eventually enveloping the entire area in a bright flash.

As the water settled and the light faded, the results of the previous battle became clear. The blonde lay silently on the ground at the foot of the Uchiha who stood over him hunched over. Sasuke couldn't bring himself to kill Naruto. He knew that in doing so he would obtain the eyes that his brother spoke of and give him unimaginable power, but killing his best friend was something he just couldn't do. He would not stoop to Itachi's level. Instead, he would gain power through his own methods.

He looked down at the blonde that slept peacefully at his feet. He was out cold and barely breathing, but alive none the less. He was indeed strong and Sasuke acknowledged that but there were two things that confused him.

First was the mysterious red chakra that appeared during their fight. The only other times he had experienced such strong killer intent was the night Itachi left and the time they ran into Orochimaru in the Forest of Death during the Chūnin Exams. Only this time it was different. It was not only menacing, but demonic as well. He never knew the happy-go-lucky loud-mouth was capable of something.

The second was why Naruto continued to fight for a village that obviously hated him. From what he saw everyone outside of Kakashi-sensei, Iruka-sensei, a few select ninja and even the Hokage herself, despised the boy's very existence. Even his long time crush and teammate didn't give him the time of day. It was obvious by the way she beat him senseless across the head that she clearly resented the blonde. Maybe that's the reason for his dimwittedness…

Even when they were younger, he had witnessed on occasion the beatings and resentment the younger boy endured. He knew Naruto was and orphan so at first he believe that his parents must have done something that really pissed off the villagers. But he dismissed that when he heard some of the adults call Naruto a demon. Naruto was obnoxious, loud, annoying, hyperactive, and a pain at times. The list goes on but one thing for sure was that Naruto was not a demon. He was too happy and energetic for such a title. It must have something to do with that red chakra…

If it had been him, he would've abandoned the village long ago. But Naruto didn't, he stayed. He stayed and became a ninja and protector for those who resented him. He even had the gall to declare that he would rule over them by becoming Hokage one day. And he persevered through it all with a smile on his face. It obviously had to be a mask, a way to hide his true emotions. There's no way someone can go through a childhood like that and not be affected.

And now Naruto lay motionless on the cold rocky ground of the valley. Any nearby shinobi were bound to have felt the massive spike in energy and were probably on their way to investigate. He would be long gone by then and if they were Leaf ninja, all they would find was Naruto's unconscious form and take him back to that hellish experience that he called life. Sasuke wouldn't let that happen. He could not let his only true friend return to such a horrid lifestyle.

Gathering all of his remaining strength, he carefully hoisted Naruto's limp body off the ground and onto his back. After taking a while to adjust to the extra weight, Sasuke began to walk, or at least he tried. It was more of a trudge. That last battle left him completely exhausted and having to carry Naruto was putting more stress on his already strained body. He stopped and winced when he felt a wave of pain shoot through him. The Curse Mark on his neck was pulsing and seemed to be the source.

But Sasuke pushed through it. He had to for both his and Naruto's sake. He would be damned if he had to return to the Hidden Leaf. They would have him under constant watch and then he would never gain the power to face Itachi, that's if he ever had the chance and Naruto would once again be submerged in a world of pain, loneliness, and hatred. Slowly but surely, he reached the edge of the Valley. At this point, it began to rain. It was subtle at first but it quickly began to pick up, pelting the young boys. Taking a deep breath and Shifting Naruto's body on his back to better accommodate him, Sasuke continued his snail's pace through the forest towards the lair of Orochimaru.

* * *

><p>Kakashi felt the large spike in chakra a few minutes ago and was currently in route alongside Pakkun to investigate. With any luck, he would find his two pupils and they would all be able to safely return to the Hidden Leaf. He still couldn't believe Sasuke left the village. He knew the boy was obsessed with gaining power but he never thought he would seek out someone like Orochimaru. He had to bring him back no matter what. Sasuke was the last Uchiha besides his brother and he had made a silent vow to himself to look after the boy for Obito's sake.<p>

Kakashi soon arrived at the Valley of the End and landed upon the head of Hashirama Senju. He surveyed the destruction that he deduced had to be the result of the power surge he felt moments before. Seeing no sign of his charges, he jumped down to the water below. He notices the holes in the ankles of both statues and he could feel some of the excess chakra that still resided. It was menacing and demonic. It sent a chill down his spine. Despite this, he still saw no sign of Naruto and Sasuke.

"Pakkun do you still have their scent?" he asked the small pug. Pakkun raised his nose and began sniffing the air. He swiveled his head making sure to cover the entire valley. But he couldn't pick up any human scents other than Kakashi's.

"I'm sorry Kakashi but it seems the rain has washed away all traces of their presence. All I know for sure is that they were both definitely here," Pakkun replied.

Kakashi was in disbelief. Not only had he lost two of his students, they just happened to be the only remnants of his best friend's clan and his sensei. He could no longer keep his promise to look after the last Uchiha. No longer could he watch over his sensei's only son. He was ashamed and felt like he had let them down. But suddenly he caught a glint out of the corner of his eye. He walked over to investigate and found a Leaf head band with a single scratch going across the middle of the forehead protector. This was the sign of a missing-nin. He picked it up and held in front of Pakkun in hopes of gaining some kind of lead.

Pakkun sniffed the cloth that was held in front of his nose. "It's Sasuke's but I can't pick up his or Naruto's scent anywhere. I'm sorry Kakashi."

The silver-haired jōnin was saddened to hear this. It was official now. His charges were forever lost. At least for now that is. All he could do now was return to the village and inform the Hokage of the situation. Pocketing Sasuke's headband, he turned to the small pug next to him.

"Come on Pakkun, we must inform Tsunade-sama." With that, both left away and began the long journey back to Konoha.

* * *

><p>Somewhere far off, Naruto was beginning to return to the world of living. He found himself in a warm bed. It was a little stiff but still comforting none the less. He sat up slowly holding his head while trying to remember what happened before he blacked out.<p>

'_That's right! I was fighting Sasuke in the Valley of the End. I countered his Chidori with my Rasengan but everything after that is fuzzy.' _

Naruto took a minute to gaze over his surroundings. He was in a dark room with the only source of light being three small candles on the table next to him.

"Where the hell am I?" he thought aloud.

Before he had more time to muse over the situation, he heard a small click and the sound of hinges groaning. A door directly across from him opened slowly letting some light from the hallway outside. A slender figure made his way to the bed. Naruto immediately took a defensive position as best he could. He was in an unfamiliar atmosphere and he wasn't exactly sure if the figure was friendly or not.

The shadowy figured approached the bed that Naruto was resting in. Naruto ease up a little when he made out the womanly figure. Surely she could offer some sort of explanation as to what was going on. The woman chuckled. Naruto paled. The last time he heard that dark, perverted chuckle he nearly died. His fears were confirmed when light finally caught the figures body and revealed a sickly white man with golden snake-like eyes.

"Orochimaru," Naruto growled.

"Kukuku it seems you have finally awaken Naruto-kun."

Naruto immediately began forming a plan escape plan. Molding chakra, he quickly placed his hand in the cross seal. "Shadow Clone Jutsu!" he called out. But instead of copies of him spawning into existence, he felt a sharp pain course throughout his body and he doubled over. Orochimaru let out another chuckle. Naruto growled in frustration.

"What the hell is this?"

"Kukuku I see you've noticed. You're completely powerless Naruto-kun."

"What did you do to me you pedophile?"

"Tsk tsk such foul language. If you don't have anything nice to say, don't say anything at all," Orochimaru grinned as he formed the serpent hand sign. Naruto immediately cringed when he felt another wave of pain wash over him. He cried out in agony.

"What did you do to me you bastard?" Naruto panted.

"I simply sealed of access to your chakra. As you've noticed, trying to mold it brings forth a nasty shock instead. If you're a good boy then I might let you have it back."

"So you kidnapped when while I was unconscious? Shows how strong you are. Can't even beat a lowly genin fair and square!" Naruto barked. This sent Orochimaru into a tirade of laughter. Naruto was far from amused.

"Kidnap you? Ha I could care less about a punk like you. Sasuke-kun arrived here carrying you on his back. Your presence here came as much as a shock to you as it did to me. But since I have you, I figure I might as well keep you," the pale man chuckled.

"You're lying! Sasuke tried to escape from me! Why would he bring me here?"

"I have no reason to lie you impudent child! Sasuke's the one that brought you here and I don't believe it or not! But believe this, you won't be leaving anytime soon!" the snake man roared.

"Oh yeah? Just you wait, Ero-sennin will find me and I'll be out of here in no time! I can't wait to see the look on your face after he kicks your ass!"

Orochimaru's patience had worn thin with the boy. He reformed the serpent sign and watched as the Naruto convulsed in pain. He turned around and spoke one final time as he left the room.

"Hmph we'll see about you damn brat. If I so wish it, you'll be stuck here forever!" with that, the door slammed and Naruto was left alone once again. He slowly sat up after finally recovering from Orochimaru's jutsu. His body ached, his head was spinning and he was panting like a sick animal.

'_Sasuke brought me here? But why'_ he pondered to himself. His thoughts suddenly shifted to Konoha.

'_Baa-chan will send someone to search for me! And even if she doesn't, Ero-sennin will come here and rescue me for sure! At least I hope they do…'_ Naruto's thoughts turned sullen as he kept pondering about being rescued.

'_Who am I kidding? No one cares about me. They're probably happy I'm gone. I bet right now they're celebrating that the demon finally left the village…'_

* * *

><p>Kakashi went straight to the Hokage's office when he arrived back in Konoha. He had to tell her of Naruto and Sasuke's status immediately. When he arrived, he was informed that Tsunade was taking care of urgent business at the hospital so he set out the new destination. Upon arriving, he asked a nurse where to find the Hokage who informed him the she was in an operating room in ICU. When he came upon said room, he found Shikamaru and the blonde girl from Suna sitting outside of the door.<p>

Shikamaru was a mess. This was his first mission as squad leader and it ended in utter failure. Both Chōji and Neji were on the verge of death, Kiba and Lee were banged up and there was no sign of Naruto. If the Suna trio hadn't shown up then they all would have died. He was so busy berating himself that he almost didn't notice Kakashi walking up. He stood up and faced the silver-haired Jōnin, hoping he had news on his blonde friend's whereabouts.

"Kakashi-sensei have you seen Naruto? He hasn't returned yet and no one's seen him since he ran ahead to face Sasuke."

Kakashi hung his head. He didn't know how exactly to tell the boy he couldn't find his student. Shikamaru noticed his hesitance and feared the worst. Just then, Tsunade came out of the operating room and sighed tiredly. Shikamaru was the first to engage her.

"Tsunade-sama how's Chōji?" he asked her hysterically.

Tsunade sighed again as she rubbed her stiff neck. "He's stable. I was able to concoct an antidote using the notes your father gave me. Tell him he has my thanks. As for Chōji, he's really weak and needs rest. With a couple weeks rest and a stable diet, he'll be back on his feet in no time."

Shikamaru was glad to hear the good news, so much in fact that he sat back down and cried. The three others in attendance looked at him sympathetically. Kakashi quickly redirected his attention to the Hokage.

"Tsunade-sama we need to talk. It's about Naruto."

She immediately motioned for him to follow her around the corner. She had been worried sick about the little loud-mouth ever since she heard that he didn't return with the rest of the group. She had been praying for his safety ever since.

"Alright Kakashi spill it," she commanded as they rounded the corner.

Kakashi let out a sigh as he gathered his thoughts. She definitely was NOT going to like what he had to say.

"I was searching for Naruto and Sasuke with Pakkun when we felt a massive spike in energy. We made our way toward the disturbance and arrived at the Valley of the End. Upon inspection, I found the result of catastrophic battle but there was no one around. The only thing I found was Sasuke headband," he said pulling out the tattered cloth. "Unfortunately, the rain washed away all scents lingering in the area. That's where our trail went cold and is the last confirmed location of Naruto and Sasuke," he finished.

He stared curiously at the blonde woman. She hadn't said anything or yelled out like he had thought she would. She instead just stood there looking deep in thought. After a few moments of silence, Tsunade spoke.

"Thank you Kakashi. I suggest you inform Sakura of the situation. You are to remain on standby till further notice. Dismissed." Kakashi nodded and shunshined away to find his pink-haired charge. Tsunade herself shunshined back to her office and plopped down in her chair.

All her composure left her as tears streamlined down her cheeks. Naruto, the only reason she came back to be Hokage in the first place, was gone. She wasn't sure if he had been kidnapped, defected, or if he was even still alive. The thought of not knowing was unbearable. She was too distracted to notice the strong pair of arms wrap around her. That's when the floodgates broke. She began to sob uncontrollably as she embraced Jiraiya. He had returned to the village a short while ago and snuck in through the window only to find the distraught Hokage.

"What's wrong Tsunade-hime?" he asked, wondering what could've happened to bring her to tears like that.

"He's gone Jiraiya…he disappeared and we can't find him!" she cried.

"Who's gone?" he asked rubbing her back.

"Naruto."

"Jiraiya's mood dropped at that. "Tsunade what do mean he's gone? What happened?"

"Sasuke Uchiha left the village three days ago and I sent a the team of Shikamaru Nara, Chōji Akimichi, Neji Hyūga, Kiba Inuzuka, and Naruto to retrieve him. According to a report from Shikamaru, Naruto went ahead to confront Sasuke and that was the last time he was seen. Kakashi arrived at the Valley of the End sometime later which he confirmed was the boys' last known location." She managed to choke out in between sobs.

Jiraiya stood there and digested the information just delivered to him. Tsunade on the other hand began to cry even harder as her thoughts from earlier came back full force.

"He could be in trouble Jiraiya. What if he's hurt and can't make it back? Or got kidnapped? What if he defected? What if…what if he's dead?"

"It's okay Tsu-hime," he cooed softly "The fox will heal any wounds he sustains and I highly doubt he ran away. He cares about the village too much."

"How can you be so sure Jiraiya? You know what his childhood was like? What if he finally had enough and snapped?" she argued.

He was taken aback by her outburst. What she said was true. What if Naruto DID get fed up with the villagers and left? It was very well a possibility and he couldn't say he would be surprised much if it that were the case. They treated Minato's last and only legacy with such malice and hatred, the exact opposite of what he wanted. Jiraiya continued to stroke Tsunade's back lovingly as she cried into his chest while his thoughts drifted to his latest blonde pupil.

'_Naruto…Where are you?'_

* * *

><p>Six months. Six long months were spent looking of Naruto and Sasuke. Tsunade had argued with the council to give her some time to search for Naruto since it was unknown whether he left willingly or not. Unfortunately they couldn't come up with any leads. Kakashi and his ninken came back empty handed every time and even Jiraiya's spy network couldn't get a fix on the missing blonde. The best trackers in the Inuzuka clan swept over the whole Valley of the End and could not pick up a scent on the boy.<p>

Their only sure-fire way of finding the Naruto was by obtaining a Bikōchū, a rare bug said to be able to track anyone or thing no matter where it is as long it's scent was the first thing it smelled after metamorphosis into an adult. Tsunade had sent Team 8 to retrieve it but unfortunately it ended in failure after it was taken from them by members of Iwa's bug user clan, the Kamizuru, after they threatened Hinata's life.

So without any leads as to the blonde boy's location, Tsunade was forced to make a decision that she would regret. She tried to stall for time but the council was very firm in their judgment. So now she found herself in her office with all of Naruto's friends and their respective sensei, Iruka, and Kakashi. Jiraiya stood just behind her for moral support. _'Well since everyone's here it's now or never I guess'_ she told herself.

"I'm glad that all of you could make it today. I have very important news to share with you, though I'm sure some of you won't like it," Tsunade began.

"What this about Hokage-sama?" Neji asked.

"It's about Naruto." Gasps erupted randomly around the room.

"Tsunade-sama has he finally been found? What about Sasuke-kun?" Sakura asked, voice full of hysteria.

"I'm sorry no. as you all know, roughly six months ago a team lead by Shikamaru Nara embarked on a mission to retrieve Sasuke Uchiha after he fled the village. That mission ended in failure and everyone but Naruto returned home." She replied. Shikamaru hung his head in shame at the mention of his failed mission.

"Naruto was last confirmed to be with Sasuke before he suddenly disappeared. We speculate that the two are together but are unsure if he was forced or left willingly. The past six months have been sent trying to get a fix on the boys' location but every attempt was in vain. I tried to buy more time and I'm afraid I can't hold it off any longer. As of today, both Naruto Uzumaki and Sasuke Uchiha are declared missing-nin."

Sakura did her best to hold back tears. She couldn't believe her ears. Both of her teammates had just been declared missing-nin. First Sasuke-kun left and then the dobe went right after him. She felt hurt and abandoned. Her resolve broke and she began to sob in to the shoulder of her best friend Ino.

Hinata herself was on the verge of crying. Naruto-kun, her long time crush and the one person she admired the most, was now gone forever. He would now be hunted down and possibly killed by his fellow comrades. She felt like a part of her left with him. She was her inspiration in life, the driving force behind her newfound courage and strength, the reason she woke up with a smile every morning. And now he was no more.

The rest of the Konoha 11 was in a state of shock and disbelief. Naruto was a lot of things but he certainly wasn't a traitor. Lee was the first to voice his objections.

"Tsunade-sama surely there has been a mistake. Naruto-kun's flames of youth burned too greatly with passion towards the village to commit such an unyouthful act! We must find him and bring him back to the safety of the village. And if we cannot then I will run 500 laps around Konoha every day until we do so!"

"No, I'm sorry. The decision is final. Naruto is an enemy of the state now and will be treated as such. Should he be found and captured, he will be returned to Konoha to stand trial," Tsunade answered the green-clad boy.

"Trial? He hasn't done anything wrong Hokage-sama. We all know Naruto is mischievous but he doesn't have an evil bone in his body. For all we know, he is being held by the enemy somewhere and need rescuing. We must act fast to find him!" Shikamaru uncharacteristically yelled.

"I'm sorry Shikamaru but there is nothing else I can do for him," Tsunade replied sternly. Underneath her professional demeanor, she was actually in pain. It hurt her too much to have to say those words.

Hinata couldn't take it anymore. Her grief was too overwhelming and she darted out of the office. Kiba, Shino, and Kurenai were hot on her trail. They had to find and console the hurting bluenette.

"That is all I have to say, you are all dismissed," Tsunade commanded. Everyone else in the room, albeit some reluctantly, filed out of her office. Sakura took some extra help from Kakashi and Ino to get her to leave. She was an emotional wreck. After everyone but Jiraiya had left, Tsunade slammed her fists on the desk and tears began to stream down her cheeks. She just made one of the hardest decisions ever since she became Hokage and she didn't enjoy it.

Jiraiya stood behind her and just stared out of the window. He let his former teammate cry and release all of her built of guilt. After a few minutes, her voice brought his attention back to the room.

"Jiraiya I have a mission for you," she said wiping the last remnants of tears off her face.

"What is it Tsu-hime?" he asked.

"She turned around to face him and met his dark eyes with her reddening hazel ones. "Jiraiya I want you to find Naruto. I don't care what you have to do as long as it doesn't cause political fallout but I want you to find him and bring him back no matter the cost."

Jiraiya nodded understanding the task given unto him. "I planned on doing that anyway. The little gaki can't get rid of us that easily. Soon he'll be back annoying people and wreaking havoc throughout the village in no time!" he said assuming Gai's infamous 'nice-guy' pose.

Tsunade smiled and her spirits were lifted a little. If anyone could find the boy it would be Jiraiya. She turned her thoughts to said blonde praying for his safety. _'Naruto wherever you are, I hope you're safe and return home to us one day.'_

* * *

><p>Naruto sat in his bed staring at the wall across from him. He had done this every day for the last seven months he had been held in captivity. He pondered on thoughts of his life up to now. It's not like there was much else to do. He felt he had gotten strong but not enough to earn the respect of those around him. And with him being stuck in the perverted snake's clutches he wouldn't be able to fulfill his dream of becoming Hokage. Speaking of Hokage, he began to think of the elderly woman.<p>

He was sure that Baa-chan would have sent out someone to find him by now, or at least he hoped she did. He considered her, Shizune-neechan, Ero-sennin, and Iruka-sensei to be the closest thing he had to a family and he only hoped that they felt the same way about him. Surely they had to be concerned about his absence.

But alas, Naruto was bored out of his mind. He couldn't leave the room and since there wasn't much to do in there he just laid in bed all day. He rarely got visitors other than the guard who brought him food and this strange redheaded girl with glasses named Karin. She was ordered to keep him company so that he didn't go insane. He was actually grateful for her visits. Sasuke had visited him once before. Naruto was infuriated that he brought him here and cursed his name since he couldn't do much else without any chakra. Sasuke tried to assure him that it was for his own good but Naruto wouldn't hear it. That was five months ago and he hadn't heard from or seen the Uchiha since then.

Naruto was drawn out of his thoughts when he heard the ever so familiar moan the door opening. He sat up so see Orochimaru gracing him with his presence.

"What do you want pedophile?" Naruto growled.

"Tsk tsk I thought we were past the nasty name calling Naruto-kun. I'm sure you wouldn't want me to go get the soap again."

Naruto shivered at the thought. He once called Orochimaru a very explicit name who responded by sticking a bar of soap in his mouth for two hours. He definitely did NOT want to go through that again.

Orochimaru chuckled at the distant expression on the blonde's face. He obviously was reminiscing on the aforementioned event.

"Actually I came to show you something that you might be interested in. It's about Konoha,"

Naruto snapped back to reality at the mention of Konoha. Maybe they had found him and sent a team to come rescues him. Or maybe Baa-chan herself was marching an army herself to come liberate him.

"Ha I told that someone would find me sooner or later!"

Orochimaru smirked. "Actually it's quite the opposite," he said as he tossed a scroll to the boy. "This was intercepted from a Leaf courier-nin a few days ago." Naruto was hesitant at first but he picked up the scroll, unraveled it and began to read its contents. He was confused as to why he was reading over an update on missing-nin. His confusion quickly turned to shock when he came upon two pictures in the middle.

The first was a picture of the last Uchiha himself, Sasuke. But the second was the one that stood out the most. It was a picture of him. The caption beneath read "Naruto Uzumaki: defected from the village during a mission. Wanted dead or alive for the crime of treason. Bounty: 1,000,000 Ryo."

Naruto's hand went stiff and the scroll dropped from his hands. Feelings of anger, betrayal, fear and most of all despair washed over him. _'So they've forsaken me after_ all' Orochimaru watched the boy's reaction. His face was blank and expressionless while his bright blue eyes were now dull and void of life. He had expected Naruto to be crushed by the news. That would make it easier to manipulate him. But there was something off about him now. It was almost as if he's given up the will to live.

Naruto was silent for a few minutes and Orochimaru decided to try to influence the boy while he was at his lowest. "See Naruto-kun I tried to tell you. They don't care about you. They're trying to eliminate you."

"Eliminate me…" Naruto replied dully.

"Yes eliminate you. They only see you as a demon and want to rid the world of you as if you were a disease."

"Disease…"

"Yes but I see something else. I see a young boy with tons of potential."

"Potential…"

"Yes Naruto-kun and I can make you stronger, strong enough to protect yourself from the tyrants of Konoha."

"Make me stronger…protect myself…"

Orochimaru smiled as he saw that he was getting through to the boy. He just needed to push a little further. "Yes Naruto-kun, stronger. Under my guidance you will be a force to be reckoned with. No longer will people call you a demon. You can finally gain the respect you so rightfully deserve. So what do you say Naruto-kun? You could sit here and wither away the rest of your life or you can go out and prove the world wrong. Show them your true strength. Make them regret the day they looked down upon Naruto Uzumaki!"

Naruto was silent. He hadn't moved in the slightest since he had dropped the scroll. His village had forsaken him. His "friends" would come to hunt him down one day to bring him back to the village, only not as a citizen but as a severed head in a scroll. No more friends to look after, no more dreams to fulfill, no more precious people to protect. It was just him now, him against the world. Only he didn't care about the world anymore. He could care less what people thought of him. But he would become strong enough to protect himself. He would only look out for number one.

"Teach me…Orochimaru-sama…"

The snake-nin grinned widely. Not only did he have a strong Uchiha for his next vessel, but now he had the strongest of the tailed beast under his control. He might not be able to take over Naruto's body because of the demon within him but with his undying loyalty and the Sharingan that was soon to be his, he would unlock the secret of the immortality and wreak havoc on the world.

"This is going to be fun," he chuckled to himself as he left the room, already planning ahead for the future.

* * *

><p>Well everyone, let me know what you think.<p> 


	2. Trouble in the Sand

Whoa 98 hits! I'm not gonna lie didn't really want to upload right now. I was half sleep, it was 5 o' clock in the morning, and I didn't know what I was doing. But it's already up and people liked it so I'll leave it up I really wanted to wait til after i got my report card to make sure i passed first, lest my mom take away my laptop. Unfortunately, that's exactly what happened -_-

Turns out i failed Honors Pre-Cal (bane of my existence!) by THREE POINTS and moms flipped out on me. Now, im computer less for two weeks and won't be able to update til then _. I'm happy to know people took to my story well. Kinda disappointed that I got so many hits and only three reviews...

I really would appreciate more feedback though...encourages me to write more. Anyway here's chapter 2.

Quick A/N: Gonna try my best to upload every Saturday so look out for new chapters. Oh and if anyone's interested on seeing what Naruto looks like, there's a pic I drew (And no i didn't trace) on my profile. check it out and let me know what you think!

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto

* * *

><p>Chapter 2: Trouble in the Sand<p>

It was a calm day in Konoha. The sun was shining, the birds were chirping, and everyone happily moved about their business throughout the village. But all wasn't sunshine and smiles for one person in the Village. Tsunade was sitting at her desk up to her neck in paperwork. She couldn't understand how there could possibly this much stuff going on in the village that needed her attention. She growled in frustration and slung the pen she was holding across the room. _'Damn it why did I let that damn gaki talk me into this job'_

Her train of thought slowly began to turn towards the missing blonde. It had been a full three years since Naruto had left the village. A lot has happened in his absence. Team 7 seven was officially disbanded and she took Sakura as her apprentice while Kakashi went back to doing solo missions. After the villagers found out about Naruto's missing-nin status, they held a week long festival in celebration. Tsunade attempted to shut it down but she was stopped by the council. She couldn't stop it because the council feared the village would erupt in anarchy.

So as a way of getting back at the villagers, last year after the festival she had everyone assemble in the village center. There she gave a speech in which she revealed the truth behind Naruto's heritage. It came as a shock to learn that the demon brat was the son of the legendary Fourth Hokage, especially to Naruto's friends. They found it hard to argue when they took in the fact that they indeed looked identical and there was no one else in the history of the village with such bright blonde hair.

Many wanted to deny that the demon was related to their village's greatest hero but Tsunade quickly shut them up. She claimed she had valid proof as well as testimonies from high ranking officials and ninjas to confirm her claim's validity. She explained how Minato sealed the Kyūbi into Naruto because there was no other way to defeat the beast and he couldn't ask a villager to give up their child for the good of the village if he wasn't willing to do it himself. Minato wanted his son to be seen as a hero for saving the village and Tsunade berated them on how they disobeyed their leader's dying wish.

After her rant, she simply left back to her office to work on more of that bastard paperwork. The council was in an uproar because of Tsunade's actions, claiming she no right to reveal classified information to the public. She in turn told them that it wasn't classified; the Third just didn't want it getting out until the right moment. Since Naruto was a missing-nin and no longer part of the village, she saw no problem with it. People were already out for his head as it is. The village was in a state of shock and people spent the next few days pondering over what had just been revealed to them. Needless to say, there were no more festivals.

Life just wasn't the same without the hyperactive blonde around. Everything just seemed dull now. Sakura had gone silent for a few months until she approached Tsunade asking her to take her as her student. Tsunade accepted, seeing the rosette's determination to bring back her teammates. Lee held true to his promise and for the last three years he ran 500 laps around the village every single day, which everyone, save Gai, believed to be unhealthy. Kakashi had grown distant toward everyone and if he wasn't on a mission, he was off somewhere reading that smut book of Jiraiya's. Tsunade probably missed him the most and she secretly missed when he called her 'Baa-chan', not that she would ever admit it to anyone. It was like a sign that Naruto considered her as family.

Jiraiya had also been absent for the last three years, off searching for Naruto. She had sent out occasional search parties every now and then when Jiraiya relayed some information to her but other than that, the hunt for the blonde was aborted. She put all her trust in Jiraiya to find the boy.

So now she just spent her days waging an epic war against the demonic forces of paperwork. She still hadn't found a way to get past it and she could never get a moment to rest with Shizune bringing in reinforcements every ten minutes. Tsunade sighed as she fell back into her chair.

She opened one of the desk's side drawers that held her hidden stash of sake. There would be hell to pay if Shizune ever found it. She reached for a half-empty bottle, ready to drain it of the rest of its heavenly elixir until the office door crashed open and a panicked Shizune rushed in. Tsunade had already closed the drawer and put on her 'game face' as she held a new pen in her hands pretending like she was hard at work.

Shizune entered the Hokage's office to find her actually doing work. The whole scene looked a little too suspicious for her tastes, especially since it was Tsunade, who just sat there looking way too innocent. But she pushed that thought aside. She had urgent news for the Hokage.

"Tsunade-sama I have urgent news! We've received an SOS from Suna. The Kazekage has been kidnapped!" Shizune said trying to catch her breath. She had run nonstop all the way from the messenger station.

"Kidnapped? Who in the hell goes around kidnapping Kages?" Tsunade all but yelled.

"The assailants are rumored to wearing straw hats and black cloaks covered in red clouds," Shizune answered.

Tsunade's eyes widened as she recognized the culprits. "Akatsuki," She growled. Shizune nodded in affirmation.

"This is bad. They must be after Shukaku,"

"Indeed milady. Suna has request assistance in tracking them down and the safe retrieval of the Kazekage," Shizune said.

"Alright, get me Team 8 and Kakashi Hatake and I want them here yesterday! Time is of the essence here and we must act swiftly!" Tsunade commanded, receiving a nod from her charge. Shizune left the office to track down the designated shinobi while Tsunade sat back in her chair rubbing her temples. "I'm getting too old for this," she groaned.

* * *

><p>"And that's the situation in Suna. You four are to track and located the two Akatsuki members and help in the retrieval of the Kazekage. Kakashi, you are the muscle of the group. This is an A-rank mission that it is to be completed with the upmost urgency. You are to leave immediately, dismissed!" the ninja present nodded and filed out of the room.<p>

* * *

><p>Deep within the Northern Hideout, one of the many hidden bases that make up Otogakure, two figures stood facing each other, preparing for battle. The first was a raven-haired teenage boy. He wore a white loose-fitting, long-sleeved shirt that was open at the front, leaving most of his chest exposed. The Uchiha clan symbol rested at the base of his collar on the backside of his shirt. He wore navy pants and an indigo coat around his waist which was held in place by a purple rope that also held his black chokutō. The black cloth of his hand guards extended to his elbows. His face was expressionless as he stared at his opponent across from him with cold onyx eyes.<p>

The other figure was also a teenager. His style of dress was similar to the others. The difference was that his shirt was high-collared, short-sleeved and black. The Uzumaki clan's red swirl adorned the back of his shirt. His shirt was only zipped up to his mid-chest, revealing his red undershirt and the First Hokage's green crystalline necklace. His pants were black while his coat was blood red and was held in place by an orange rope belt that also held his red chokutō. His forearms were covered by black wrist warmers. Sun-bleached blonde locks hung loosely in front of his dull sapphire eyes which were focused on the boy across from him.

The raven-haired boy rolled down the sleeves of his hand guards revealing purple bracers with seals on them.

Sasuke dropped his stance slightly and held his hands to his sides. Naruto unsheathed his blade and held it at the ready. Sasuke took a deep breath and closed his eyes. He channeled chakra into his fingers tapped the seals on his bracers. Shuriken instantaneously appeared in his hands and he snapped his eye's opened revealing his fully-matured Sharingan. He flung them at the blonde across from him. He kept tapping the seals and each time he did a shuriken popped out which he immediately launched forward. His arms were moving so fast that they seemed to phase in and out of existence.

Naruto just looked impassively at the rain of steel coming towards him. His enhanced instincts kicked in and he began to block the incoming death stars. Sasuke was sending an insane amount of shuriken his way and he knocked away each expertly. Upon seeing his shuriken being batted away with ease, Sasuke began enhancing them with lightning chakra.

Naruto was busy swatting away the harmless metallic stars when he noticed something different about them. They were covered in a static blue aura and sparked wildly when they made contact with his sword. He quickly deduced that Sasuke was using Lightning chakra and charged his own sword with wind chakra. Wind's natural affinity over lightning showed as Naruto's wind-powered blade made quick work of the lightning shuriken as he cut them in half.

Sasuke saw that he wasn't making any ground so he quickly flipped through some hand signs. _**"Fire Style: Fireball Jutsu!"**_ he called as he shot a burst of flame from his mouth.

Naruto had just blocked the last of the shuriken when he saw the huge ball of fire hurtling towards him. He pumped even more wind chakra into his sword and delivered a vertical slice straight down the middle, easily splitting it in half. He gritted his teeth as he barely blocked the incoming strike aimed at his stomach.

Sasuke smirked at having caught the blonde off-guard but it quickly disappeared when he realized he had been blocked. Sasuke quickly swung his free hand toward Naruto's face only for it to be grabbed by the blonde's open palm. The two stood there pressing against one another, blade against blade, fist against hand, trying to overpower each other. Sasuke's expressionless face met with Naruto's disinterested look. Sasuke felt Naruto gaining the upper hand so cutting his losses, he pushed off and back flipped away. Naruto had always been the stronger of the two while Sasuke was the fastest. Naruto took this time to twirl his sword in his hand into his familiar unorthodox reverse-grip and entered his battle stance. Sasuke noticed the change in stance and readjusted himself into his usual kenjutsu stance. After a silent moment, the two rushed at each other, meeting head-to-head in a fierce sword battle.

* * *

><p>Orochimaru sat on his throne as he watched his students engage in a deadly dance. He smirked as he thought about their progress over the last three years. Sasuke surely did live up to his potential. He was the fastest in all of Otogakure, his strength was incredible, he was a master of the sword, and his ninjutsu was incredible. That Chidori of his proved to be rather troublesome, especially after he had trained the boy in lightning manipulation. Sasuke had also mastered his fully evolved Sharingan and even the Curse Mark. He was indeed a worthy vessel.<p>

But it was Naruto who had surprised him the most. After he began to train him, much to Sasuke's surprise, the boy began grow exponentially. His speed wasn't on par with Sasuke's but it was still a force to be reckoned with. Where Naruto truly prevailed was his strength. Orochimaru never could figure out exactly where it came from but the boy was a natural powerhouse. Sasuke had to enter the first stage of the Curse Mark just to get close to the boy's natural power. Tsunade herself would be proud. Naruto's kenjutsu was on the same level as Sasuke's and their ninjutsu was about the same except Sasuke had a more vast library. He was interrupted from his thoughts by two distinctive jutsu and a loud explosion in front of him.

* * *

><p>Naruto and Sasuke clashed as they met in the middle. Naruto swung low at Sasuke's ankles only for the Uchiha to leap up and send a downward slash his way. Naruto sidestepped the strike and swung his sword arm around in an attempt to decapitate his friend. Sasuke ducked at the last second and tried to split his rival in half with a sideswipe to the stomach. Naruto parried his strike and in the split second that the Uchiha was off-guard, he delivered a roundhouse kick to Sasuke's chest that sent him flying.<p>

Sasuke recovered in midair and grimaced as he skidded to a stop. He always hated being hit by Naruto. The blonde's strength was ridiculous. He didn't have much time to rest as Naruto was immediately in his face again trying to knock his head of his shoulders with a spinning axe kick. Sasuke avoided the kicked but barely had time to register the silver blade flying at his neck right afterwards. With the help of his Sharingan, Sasuke parried the blade mere inches before it struck his jugular. He pushed off Naruto's sword and began his counterattack.

They swiped at each other repeatedly but were at a stalemate. Every swing was either blocked, parried, or dodge completely. The rhythmic sound of clanging metal echoed throughout the room. With their swordsmanship being on the same level, they were going nowhere fast. Sasuke parried another of Naruto's strikes but instead of retaliating with his own, he sent chakra into his left hand and a Chidori sparked to life.

Naruto immediately kicked away from the Uchiha when the ever so familiar sound of birds chirping hit his ears, narrowly dodging the jab aimed at his heart. He skidded to a stop and looked up to see Sasuke charging at him, sword poised to strike and Chidori still encased over his hand. Naruto quickly formed a Rasengan in in his left hand and dash forward to meet his rival head on.

As they drew closer, Sasuke swung his sword in an overheard diagonal slash, hoping to split the blonde in half. Naruto saw this coming and countered with his own upward diagonal strike in the opposite direction of Sasuke's. Their blades met in a mighty clang and they were at another stalemate but they were finished yet. They both thrust their chakra powered hands at the other and met in their greatest stalemate of them all.

''_**Chidori!"**_

"_**Rasengan!"**_

Their techniques clashed between them as they battled for dominance. No matter how hard they tried, they couldn't overwhelm the other's attack. Sasuke saw this and opened up his Curse Mark slightly. As the black flame marks spread across his body, the Chidori in his hand took on a purplish hue and he began to push back the blonde. Naruto, upon feeling the Uchiha's sudden increase in strength, tapped into some of the Kyūbi's chakra. His eyes flashed red and his pupils grew slitted. The Rasengan in his hand glowed red as it matched the power of Sasuke's violet Chidori.

The two were once again on even grounds. But being the competitive types they were, they wouldn't just settle for even. The two teens began pumping more and more chakra into their hands, causing the jutsu they held to grow unstable from lack of control. Both ignored the shaking ground and the debris that kicked up around them and focused only on defeating the other. Suddenly, their hands grew bright, catching both boys attention as their jutsu pulsed uncontrollably. Something unexpected happened next. The Chidori and the Rasengan fused as Sasuke's hand met Naruto's and the whole room was blanketed in a flash of light.

A loud explosion ensued and dust scattered everywhere. Orochimaru raised his arm to his face to shield his eyes from the incoming debris. He looked up as the dust settled to find Naruto and Sasuke a few feet apart from one another, both panting heavily. _'Well that was unexpected. Kakashi of the Sharingan's Chidori and the Fourth Hokage's Rasengan…truly destructive jutsu. Those two really out did themselves.'_ Orochimaru thought to himself. He decided to end their 'friendly' spar before they killed one another or caved in his precious hideout.

"Alright boys excellent work but that's enough for today. I don't need you splattering each other all over the walls. Blood is rather troublesome to clean up." He chuckled.

Just then Kabuto land in front of him in a kneeling position. "Orochimaru-sama I have urgent news." He spoke. The snake man raised his arm beckoning him to continue.

"It seems as though the Akatsuki are on the move again. We've just received word from our scouts in Suna that they have just captured the One-tail."

Naruto picked up the last part of this sentence and made his way over to Orochimaru's throne.

"What's happened to Gaara?" he asked as he approached the older men.

"He's been abducted by the Akatsuki Naruto-kun," Kabuto answered. Naruto didn't immediately respond. He stood there for a few seconds leaving the two men I front of him confused. After a moment of silence, Naruto spoke again.

"Orochimaru-sama, I'm going to Suna," he said as he took his leave.

"Naruto-kun, I must advise against that. The Akatsuki are still after the tailed beasts5 and if you leave they might get you too," Kabuto warned him.

Naruto snorted at his remark. "I'm going," he said with finality and left the room.

Kabuto turned to his master for help but was left puzzled by the snake-nin's smile. "Kabuto I see you doubt Naruto-kun's skills. Let him go. If we're lucky, he'll take out an Akatsuki member or two. That'll be less work for us in the future,"

"But Orochimaru-sama, is he really that strong?" Kabuto queried. Orochimaru's grin said it all.

"Well we should at least send Sasuke-kun with him. That way-,"

"Not gonna happen. It's going to rain soon and I'm going to practice _that_ jutsu," Sasuke interrupted Kabuto as he left the room.

"Well, there you have it Kabuto. You needn't worry so much. I will now take my leave," Orochimaru yawned as he exited to his private quarters, leaving Kabuto all by his lonesome.

* * *

><p>Naruto stared out over the mountains from the roof of the hideout. He now donned a black cloak. "A thunderstorm is rolling in," he said to himself as he observed the dark cloud inching closer by the minute. He had to leave now to make it to Suna in time. He had to save Gaara. He was one of the only few people who Naruto didn't forsake. They were both jinchūriki and understood each other's pain. Both knew what it was like to grow up being treated like demons. He couldn't sit by idly and let the Akatsuki kill his friend, especially if he could do something about it.<p>

Naruto closed his eye and took a deep breath. His eyes shot open as he dashed forward and leapt off the cliff before him. Naruto went into a free fall as he barreled down the side of the mountain that the Northern Hideout was built in. The wind whipped through his hair, which had grown out a little over the years, and his cloak flapped wildly as he reached terminal velocity. He loved the feeling of the wind against his skin and this was one of the only times that he was at peace. When he saw himself nearing the bottom, he let out a low-pitch whistle. Seconds before he was splattered all over the ground, he was caught by a blue and white blur.

Naruto remained impassive as his companion caught him in the nick of time. The bird-like dragon beneath him mimicked his master's expression as it race through the mountains at near supersonic speeds. The lower half of its body was blue with streamline jet-plane wings. It had a red triangle-shaped ring on its chest. It's grey and blue arms were tucked into its body in order to reduce air-resistance. The upper-half of it body was grey, it had triangle-shaped ears and a blue face with a grey tear drop shape in the middle.

This dragon was Naruto's personal companion. It wasn't a summon per say but it always answered his call. His name was Latios.

Naruto had met Latios under mysterious circumstances just over two years ago. While on his was on his way back from retrieving a scroll for Orochimaru, he encountered a strange blue and black foxlike creature. The fox gave him a gem called a Soul Dew and told him it would be necessary to fulfill a prophecy. Naruto didn't know what he meant by that and before he could question the fox's motives it was gone.

Naruto held on to the Soul Dew and kept it in his waist pouch. Three weeks later during a spar with Sasuke, the gem began to resonate. Naruto took it out of his pouch when it began to glow brightly. It suddenly gave off a bright flash and bathed the surrounding area in light. When the light cleared, they were face to face with a young Latios. Naruto and Sasuke were shocked to say the least. Orochimaru was just as surprised but grinned in interest.

Latios was an impeccable companion. He was incredibly fast and had a host of attacks, most of which unknown in nature. Orochimaru wanted to run tests on him but Naruto wouldn't allow it. The fact that he was leaking Kyūbi's chakra and his voice was oozing with malice helped to get the point across. Orochimaru never brought the subject up again.

Since there wasn't exactly a place to keep a growing dragon within the confines of the secret hideouts, Naruto just allowed Latios to roam free. Whenever he needed him he would just whistle and Latios would appear almost immediately by his side. Naruto had no fear of Latios being caught since his speed was unmatched anywhere else and he was strong enough to defend himself. That and he has the ability to turn invisible.

Latios had grown into a formidable beast over the last two years. He was just under seven feet in length, just bigger than any human but still small enough to retain his swift agility. It was only last year that Naruto had experimented with riding him. Their first few attempts were sketchy and nearly cost them their lives at one point, but as time progressed, they began to get the hang of it. Now they were totally in sync when they flew and became masters of the aerial art. It showed in the way that they shot through the mountain pass at an incredible velocity.

Naruto and Latios quickly made it out of the mountains and were now zooming over a forest. Naruto tapped Latios on the side of his long neck. Latios felt his master's silent command and began to ease up. The duo were now leisurely gliding through the air. Naruto felt that this was a reasonable speed for such a long travel. It wouldn't do well if Latios tired himself out. If they kept their current pace, they would reach Suna in two days.

Naruto was eager to reach the sand country though. He had to save Gaara. He was sick of his kind being used and abused. _'Gaara I'll be there soon. Wait for me'_ he thought as they continued the long journey to the Land of Wind.

* * *

><p>Team 8, with the addition of Kakashi, were currently en route to the Hidden Sand Village. Once there, they were to receive a briefing on the current situation and more details of the assailants. They were hoping to get some kind of lead as to the general direction or location they were last seen.<p>

The leaf-nin quietly made their way through the forest as they approached the Land of Wind border. Kiba was on point with Akamaru, Kurenai and Shino followed right behind him in the middle while Kakashi and Hinata were in the back. Kiba was responsible for sniffing out any possible traps or enemies that may lurk ahead of them while Hinata used her Byakugan to detect any enemies that tried to sneak up behind them.

They had been traveling at a steady pace for about a day and a half now and exhaustion was beginning to overtake them.

"Oi Kurenai-sensei, when can when take a break?" Kiba whined as he gazed back at the crimson-eyed woman. Kurenai looked back and met Kakashi's gaze. Kakashi saw he implied question and nodded his head in affirmation.

"Alright everyone let's set up camp for the night," Kurenai said.

"Finally! We've been running for-"

"Kurenai-sensei, there's an unidentified object rapidly approaching from the rear!" Hinata yelled, interrupting Kiba.

"Hinata, can you get a fix on it?" Kurenai asked calmly.

"No, it's moving too fast. It'll be upon us any second now!" the Hyūga heiress replied.

Just then, something flew past them at an incredible speed, kicking up a lot of dust and shaking leaves off the trees in its wake. The Konoha-nin braced themselves against the violent whirlwind that overcame them. Moments later, the wind ceased and the surrounding area was calm again.

"What the hell was that?" Kiba exclaimed snorting out dirt that flew up it's nose.

"I don't know but did anyone get a good look at it?" Kurenai asked. Everyone shook their heads negative.

"Well whatever the hell it was it sure was fast- Ow!"

"Kiba, What did I say about that kind of language?" Kurenai berated the brunette teenager who was profusely rubbing the knot on his head.

"Damn it Kurenai-sensei that-" he was interrupted by another smack to the head. His previous bump now had a twin.

"OW! Ok! Ok! I get it jeez!" Kiba yelled and started to mumble something incoherent about freedom of speech and crazy older women. Hinata giggled at her teammate's antics.

Kakashi stared in the direction that the unknown object took off in. he was just barely able to make out some details with the help of his Sharingan. Whatever it was, it was white, blue and had small hints of red and black. It also had wings. He thought he saw what looked like Sunny blonde hair but he wasn't completely sure. Lastly, the object gave off a faint familiar presence. He wasn't sure what it was exactly but he was certain he had felt it before.

"Kakashi-sensei I know you're getting old but at least try to keep up!" Kiba yelled from ahead. Kakashi snapped back to reality to see his team a good twenty meters down the road. He quickly took off and caught up with the rest of the group.

"Jeez Kakashi-sensei what's with the spacing out?" Kiba queried.

"Oh Heh Heh sorry about that. I saw a squirrel wrestling with a raccoon over an acorn and I wanted to see who would win," The silver-haired Jōnin replied.

"Ok…weird…" Kiba said as he mumbled on about crazy jōnins and bad liars.

* * *

><p>Naruto stared into a small fire he had set up as he reclined against a sleeping Latios. He his sword in his left hand and a whetstone in his right as he careful sharpened the blade. Night had taken over and he set up camp a few meters from where the edge of the forest met the desert. They had been traveling for a while now and he figured they should get a good rest before they arrived in Suna tomorrow. While flying earlier, Naruto thought he felt some familiar presences on the ground below but he brushed it aside. The only thought on his mind was saving Gaara.<p>

He let out a soft yawn as fatigue crept up own him. He sheathed his blade and set it beside him with the rest of his stuff. His coat, shirt, and cloak sat next to him neatly folded while his wrist warmers and waist pouch rested neatly on top. The thick orange rope belt was rolled up and sat at the base of the pile. This left him in only his undershirt, pants, and calve-length sandals.

A cool, gentle breeze from the desert swept through the small clearing. The fire danced slightly with the wind before returning to its subtle flickering. Naruto shot to his feet when he gazed through the fire and thought he saw what looked liked a small fox-like figure standing across from him. But there was nothing there._ 'Must be more tired than I thought i was,'_ he thought to himself before sitting back down. Naruto settled even more into the sleeping beast behind him as he tried to come up with a plan for tomorrow. But before he could come up with anything, fatigue finally claimed him and with the combined efforts of the soft crackling of the fire and Liatos's rhythmic breathing, he was slowly lulled to sleep.

* * *

><p>The five man cell of Leaf-nin arrived in Suna the next day. The city was relatively calm for just having their leader kidnapped. The people just went about their lives like any other day. After a short walk through town they arrived at the Kazekage's office. They entered to see a highly distressed Temari sitting at the desk. She looked up when heard them walk in.<p>

"Finally, you're here!" she exclaimed, barely keeping her composure.

Kakashi stepped forward to speak "We are the tracking team sent from Konoha. What's the current status on the situation?"

"Three nights ago, the city was attacked by the Akatsuki. He was alone and he flew around the city dropping bombs everywhere. That's when Gaara stepped out to face him. They squared off in the skies above Suna and just when Gaara seemed to gain the upper hand, He exploded."

Kurenai raised an eyebrow. "What do you mean exploded?"

"We don't know exactly. Gaara had the Akatsuki member pinned and next thing you know his gourd just exploded and he was knocked unconscious. The Akatsuki guy created some weird clay-like bird that scooped up Gaara and they flew away," Temari explained.

"I see. Do you have any clarifications as to their last whereabouts?" Kakashi asked.

"No not exactly, but people have reported seeing a giant white bird flying across the desert toward River Country. My best guess is to start there," the younger jōnin responded.

"Understood, we shall leave now," Kurenai said as they're team headed for the door.

"One more thing," Temari began, effectively halting them in their tracks. They all turned around to meet her gaze.

"Yes, what is it?" Kakashi spoke.

"I want you guys to take Lady Chiyo with you. She's the one who seal Shukaku into Gaara and she should be able to fix any damage his seal might have sustained. Don't let the old bag of bones fool you, she's still a strong fighter,"

"Understood," Kakashi said as his team exited.

"She'll be waiting by the western gate!" Temari called after them fight before the door closed.

* * *

><p>Naruto and Latios were gliding above the desert on a course for Suna. He had arranged to meet up with one of the Sound spies that had been placed within the village. With any luck, he would obtain some information on Gaara's location.<p>

The Hidden Sand Village came into view shortly and Naruto began his plan to infiltrate. Latios shot right over the city and dropped his master off. Naruto suppressed his chakra as he skydived into Suna. He tucked his arm in to increase his velocity. The faster he reached the ground, the lesser the chance of him being detected.

Upon seeing the ground grow closer, Naruto spread his arms out with his cloak and using his wind manipulation, he halted his fall five feet from the ground. He landed in an alleyway off the main road. He pulled on his hood and stepped out of the alley, blending in with the crowd. He henged his cloak to appear a sandy brown. I wouldn't do good to go around in a black one right after the Akatsuki struck.

He quietly sifted through the crowd making his way down the street. Not one person paid him any mind. After walking for about ten minutes he came arrived at his destination. It was a dango shop on a corner off the village's main square. He stepped inside and was shown to a table by a bubbly brunette around his age.

"Here's your table sir. What can I get you today?" she asked.

"Just a stick of dango and a glass of water please," Naruto answered as he sat down.

"Coming right up!" she smiled at him before walking off.

Naruto sat there patiently for about five minutes to his food arrived. He took notice of the hooded man who sat at the table behind him, their backs to each other. The waitress returned shortly with Naruto's order and he ate silently. After he finished his snack, he picked up a subtle tapping noise behind him.

He recognized it as the Morse code system that Orochimaru set up. It only seemed befitting for sound shinobi. It was light and unless you trained your ears accordingly, you wouldn't be able to pick it up.

"_Greetings Naruto-san. Orochimaru-sama informed me of your arrival two day ago."_

Naruto took his empty dango stick and began tapping lightly on the table.

"_What's the situation?"_ he asked.

"_It would seem as though the Akatsuki infiltrated the village three nights ago and challenged the Kazekage. The Kazekage fought in the skies above the village a blonde Akatsuki member. He was reported to be using clay bombs,"_ the spy responded.

"_So they sent Deidara huh? That means Sasori's probably accompanying them. Any updates as to their last known whereabouts?"_

"_Reports have come in about sightings of a large clay-like bird flying over the desert headed towards River Country."_

"_Akatsuki has a base there that's about a day's travel from here. They're probably extracting the Ichibi as we speak…I'll take my leave now. thanks for the information." _With that, Naruto stood up to leave but a last minute tapping caught his ear.

"_Naruto-san I feel it important to warn you that Konoha-nin were spotted in the village earlier. They are most likely here as reinforcements. You should be careful out there." _Naruto remained silent and just nodded.

He turned to leave but he bumped into someone. The brunette waitress from earlier was carrying a tray of food to a group of people in the back. She tried to slip through some tables but lost her balance when she bumped into the stranger she seated earlier. She felt herself falling to the ground before she was caught in the embrace of a pair of strong arms.

Reacting on instinct, Naruto swiftly caught her in his left arm and the falling tray of food in his right. The way he caught her left them staring face to face. She immediately noticed the blonde locks underneath his hood and became lost in his oceanic sapphire eyes. He slowly helped her to feet and handed her back the tray.

"Careful there, wouldn't want you to get hurt," he said with a small smile. She felt her cheeks heat up as she watched him leave. All throughout this small altercation, a man clad in a black cat-like suit sat in the back of the shop and analyzed what just happened.

'_Those reflexes just now…who was that guy?'_ Kankurō thought to himself.

Naruto quickly made his way to the village's outer walls after leaving the shop. But as he was making his way down the main road, something glimmered in his peripheral vision, catching his attention. He turned to his right to face the window of a jewelry shop and saw the offending object resting on a podium behind the glass. He approached the window to get a better look. What he saw when he approached the glass was a pair of necklaces siting side by side shimmering in the sunlight.

One was golden and shaped like the sun with a shiny ruby resting in the center. Its twin resting beside it, was a silver moon that held an aquamarine jewel in its crescent. _'Perfect,'_ Naruto thought as he stepped into the store.

He left the store five minutes later and conspicuously climbed the wall and leapt out into the desert where Latios, who was waiting nearby, swiftly caught him. With his newly acquired Intel, Naruto set out for River Country, intent on stopping whatever plans the Akatsuki had in store.

* * *

><p>Meanwhile, in a cave deep within River Country, two men wearing black cloaks cover in red clouds stood atop the fingers of a statue. Astral projections of took up the other fingers. The right thumb was occupied by a man with spiked hair and purple, ringed eyes. The right index was taken up by a man with long blonde hair that was put up into a ponytail. Atop the right middle stood a woman with a flower in her hair and a scarlet-eyed man stood next to her on the ring finger. A plant-like man stood on the pinky finger.<p>

On the left hand, a shark faced man stood on the ring finger, a green eyed man occupied the middle, a man carrying a large three-bladed scythe stood atop the index, and lastly, the thumb was taken up by a short, robust man who was hunched over. Each wore a ring on the same appendage on which they stood. Floating between the hands of the statue was the unconscious form of the Kazekage surrounded by a pool of blue chakra as red chakra flowed out of his eyes and mouth and into the mouth of the statue.

Moments later, the flow of red chakra ceased and the chakra pool dissipated, dropping Gaara's lifeless body to the ground. The statue's mouth closed and one of its nine eyes opened.

"The sealing of the Ichibi is complete," the ringed-eyed man spoke.

"It's about damn time too! I was starting to get this mean crook in my neck!" the scythe wielding man whined.

"Hidan, shut up…before I kill you," The green-eye man threatened.

"Kiss my ass Kakazu! You've been saying that for the last year yet here I am alive in well," Hidan snorted back.

"Enough you two!" the ring-eyed man interrupted. "Sasori, Deidara, our scouts have picked up ten individuals headed your way. They are mostly likely from Suna and are coming to reclaim their leader. Dispose of them," he commanded.

"Yes Leader-sama," their voices echoed throughout the cave.

* * *

><p>Well that's it for now, tell me what you think. And before anyone says anything, I love Latios and he has a greater purpose later on in the story. If you don't like, oh well I'm not changing it. But i would like to know if this would classify my story as a crossover now 'cause I'm not entirely 100% sure. Anyway, please leave a review and let me know what you think. Wait patiently for me to return also. What's happened, happened and i can't do much to change it. But if I can, i'll steal my laptop back and upload chapter 3, no promises though. (Moms is crafty at hiding things grr!). Guess that's it, till next time. Peace! ^_^<p> 


	3. Confrontation

752 hits, 21 favorites, and 24 alerts...in only two chapters! You have no idea how happy I was when i saw that. Now if only I could get more reviews... (Hell i even turned on anonymous reviews)

I now feel really pressured to deliver a good story to you guys and I'm gonna try to do just that. feedback on how you guys think I'm doing is REALLY helpful, but hey, I can't exactly force you. I you think I'm nagging, then...I don't really care. I'm new to this whole writing experience and I'm kinda just winging it and I want advice. So just bear with me. (Fyi: I consider "Nice story, hope you update soon" as praise not feedback. It's still greatly appreciated, just not what I'm looking for...)

Anyways, i stole back my laptop (Hehehe!) for a short while and decide to upload this a day early since I won't be at home all weekend. There might be a couple misspelled/repeated words (for some weird reason Word doesn't auto-correct like it normally does) or grammatical error since I didn't really get the chance to read over it. In the meantime, I've been drawing up concept art of Naruto and Sasuke for the story in my spare time. I already put one up of Naruto and before anyone comments on my coloring know this: Some left my Prismacolors out and my dog nearly destroyed all of them. I was reduced to using Color Art map pencils -.- Anyway let me know what you think and if anyone else wants to draw something and send it to me then I'll gladly credit you.

Guess that's it really...

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto or anything Pokemon related.

* * *

><p>Chapter III: Confrontation<p>

Ten figures appeared in a large open area with a giant rock structure and a small lake that sat in front of it.

Kakashi and Kurenai's group had met up with Gai's team, who Tsunade had sent along as back up just in case. The group of shinobi stepped out onto the lake and walked up to a giant boulder with a slip of paper on it. Kakashi approached the boulder and raised his headband to scan the paper with his Sharingan. After a few moments, Kakashi pushed his headband back down and sighed as he stepped back to the group.

"It's just a I thought. This is a Five-Seal barrier," he said.

"What's that Kakashi-sensei?" Kiba asked.

"It's a special seal that creates a barrier around a place by placing four tags in different locations surrounding, a fifth tag on the location to be protected. The tags are placed on flat surfaces, and are connected with the user's chakra. It's a high probability that the one we seek are in there," Kakashi explained.

"So we just take off the seal, go in kick the Akatsuki guys' asses, grab Gaara, return him to Suna, and become heroes right?" Kiba asked.

"That is a most excellent idea Kiba!" Lee interjected with a fist pump.

Everyone sweat dropped at the duo's simplicity and brashness. "It doesn't work like that guys. In order to dispel the barrier, all five tags must be removed simultaneously, meaning we'll have to split up. Problem is, the other four could be anywhere around here and we have no idea where to start," Kakashi said.

The group began to ponder the current situation. Each began devising ways to ascertain the location of the four remaining seals. After about five minutes of rolling ideas around in his head, Shino spoke up.

"Kakashi-sensei, you said that the tags are laced with the user's chakra right?" he asked the silver-eyed jōnin.

"That's right," Kakashi replied.

"Then it is possible that we Hinata and Neji should be able to locate them with their Byakugans," the bug clad chūnin said. Everyone's eyes widened and the directed their gaze toward the two Hyūga.

"It's worth a shot," Neji said simply.

"I'll try my best," Hinata stammered.

Both form a one-handed tiger sign and called out 'Byakugan.' Their normally invisible pupils became slightly more distinct and the veins around their temples bulged as they scanned the surrounding area for chakra signatures. Their eyes returned to normal less than two minutes later and they relayed their findings.

"There's one a kilometer north of our position and another a half kilometer to the west," Neji said.

Hinata hesitated. She glanced behind her and scanned the area hastily. Discovering nothing she sneezed lightly and turned back to the group. "One is half kilometer to the east and the last lies one and a half kilometers to the south," Hinata said finally.

Kakashi stared at the girl as processed her recent actions. It was almost as if she had seen or sensed something but there was nothing there. Pushing it to the back of his mind for now, he brought forth the plan he devised. "Alright, here's the plan," Kakashi began. "Neji, you and Lee take the tags to the North and West while Hinata and Shino take care of the tags to the South and East. Tenten I want you to back up Hinata." He noticed the bun-haired girl's scowl and continued before she could interrupt.

"I am by no means demeaning either of your skills as kunoichi but I would feel more comfortable with you watching Hinata's back. There no telling what kinda a sickos are out there or what would happen if Hinata was injured and left at the mercy of the enemy." When he saw their understanding nods of agreement, he finished explaining his plan. "

The rest of us will wait here and when you four are in position, radio in and the five of us will remove the tags and lift the barrier. Any questions, comments, or concerns?" Kakashi finished,

Kiba's hand almost immediately shot up.

"Kiba you shut up. I've had it with your idiotic remarks. I swear, you're just like N-" Kakashi caught himself before he slipped up. His one visible eye grew very void and distant. Then it suddenly sprang back to life and he turned to the four aforementioned chūnin.

"Anyway, if you guys are ready, head out now. This must be done in the upmost urgency as the Kazekage's fate depends on it. Now scatter!" he commanded. He received an affirmative 'Yes' and the five younger shinobi disappear from sight.

* * *

><p>Naruto sat high up in a tree masking his chakra signature with an invisible Latios hovering nearby. He expected to run in to Konoha shinobi, but he hadn't expected them all to be people he knew. In the clearing before him stood the members of Team Gai, Team 8, his old sensei, and some short old lady. If he wasn't mistaken, she was Chiyo, the Legendary Puppeteer of Suna. Kakashi had just stepped away from the boulder and was currently speaking with the group. He idly hung back and watched the situation develop. He really wanted to save Gaara but to take one the Akatsuki and Konoha would be suicidal. He would be worn out from fighting one and mostly be captured by the other and either be forcibly returned to the Hidden Leaf or have the Kyūbi ripped from his body. He'd be damned if that happened.<p>

As he observed the group of planning Leaf-nin down below, his gaze fell upon one particular member of his old group of peers. He couldn't seem to take his eyes off the pearl-eyed bluenette kunoichi.

Hinata left him bewildered. She was one of the few people in Konoha that he did not forsake. She was also one of the few people that showed him any compassion, albeit she was extremely shy about it. He remembered how she used to blush and stutter a lot whenever she was around him and he always thought she was just weird. But after growing up and looking back on it, he realized she must have been nervous about something. He originally thought it was because she found out about the demon but dismissed the thought because it wouldn't explain the blush. Perhaps she was a closet pervert of the sort…

Regardless, she intrigued him and he couldn't figure out why. He hadn't really known her all that well. In fact, the only memories he had directly associated with her was during the Chūnin Exams when after his fight against Kiba she had given him some medicine and her fight against Neji where she almost lost her life. He swore on her blood that he would beat him in the finals. Thinking back, he kinda wished he had gotten to know her a little better. Who knows what could've happened…

Naruto was buried so deep in his thoughts that he barely registered that he had locked eyes with the very girl that was on his mind. He tensed and felt his stopped. He gripped the handle of his sword, preparing for a fight in case he had been found out. But she just swiveled her head as if scanning the area before sneezing and turning back to the others. He sighed in relief but felt his heart skip a beat and his cheeks warm faintly.

'_What was that…this feeling just now...'_

His thoughts were interrupted by a shout from Kakashi and he turned back just in time to see Hinata, Neji, Lee, and the bug kid whose name he couldn't remember disappear while Kakashi, Gai, Kiba, Kurenai and Chiyo stayed behind.

'_They must have figured out a way to get pass that barrier. I'll sit here and see what happens. If a fight breaks outs I'll hang back and let them tire out the Akatsuki and wait for my chance to strike,'_ he thought as he settled back into the tree and focused his gaze on the clearing before him.

* * *

><p>Hinata's mind was still on the anomaly she felt back in the clearing as she rushed through the forest beside Shino and Tenten. She was almost positive she felt another chakra signature behind them but it quickly disappeared before she could confirm it. What was even more baffling was that chakra felt familiar. It was like she hadn't felt it in a while but it was definitely familiar in a way, but she didn't know exactly how.<p>

Shino looked back t Hinata when he saw her starting to lag behind and grew concerned when he saw the unfocused look in her eyes. He called out to her repeatedly and she finally replied after the fifth time.

"Huh? Oh Shino-kun what is it?" she asked.

"Hinata are you ok? You were falling behind and you seem unfocused." He told her. Hinata blushed at having been caught slacking off. What would her father think if he heard about this?

"I'm s-sorry. I was lost in thought," Hinata apologized.

"It's ok Hinata, just try to stay focused," he reassured her.

"We should keep moving. The first tag should be coming up soon right?" Tenten asked.

"Y-Yes, it's in a clearing just ahead." Hinata stammered. The three of them continued on through the forest towards their objective.

* * *

><p>Kakashi stood in the clearing reflecting over the mistake he almost made earlier. He had almost called Kiba Naruto. It had been almost three years but the disappearance of the blonde still hurt. No one knew whether he was still alive or not, leaving it to imagination about his current status.<p>

Kakashi hoped that he was alive and that wherever he was he was safe. Most of all, he hoped that he was happy. God knows that Naruto deserves it the most after his troubled childhood. His thoughts on the subject came to an end when he heard voices ringing through the headset in his ear.

"In position at the East tag," Shino said.

"North tag ready to be pulled," Neji said.

"Yosh! I am ready here in the West," Lee exclaimed.

"We're ready here in the South," Tenten said.

"Alright everyone nice work," Kakashi commended them. "Ok on my count, everyone remove their tag. One…two…THREE NOW!"

As soon as they heard the order, they all ripped off the seal in front of them. Back with Kakashi's group, the boulder began to faintly glow blue and the aura disappeared as quick as it appeared. Kakashi turned to the older green beast.

"Gai would you mind?"

"Yosh! I will destroy this boulder with the ever burning Flame of Youth! _**Severe Leaf Hurricane!**_" Gai delivered a vicious kick to the center of the boulder and it shattered into hundreds of smaller rocks and pebbles. A powerful gust a wind blew out of the cave, causing them to take a step back. Just as they were about to step inside, Kakashi heard the frantic voices of their charges echo through his mic.

"Kakashi-sensei, something's wrong. After I pulled of the tag, the surface it was on distorted and a clone of me appeared and it's intent on not letting me leave," Neji explained.

"Same here," said Shino.

"What kind of unyouthful trickery is this?" Lee asked.

"It seems that a trap was sprung went the barrier was deactivated. It looks like you guys are going to have to defeat your doppelganger and regroup with the rest of us as soon as possible," Kakashi explained.

"Understood!" rang four voices in his ear.

"Yosh! I get unleash my Flames of Youth against myself. This will prove to be a most youthful duel and test of my skills!" Lee exclaimed excitedly.

Kakashi turned back to ease the concerned looks of his comrades. "They just ran into some trouble but are taking care of it quickly before come back to regroup with us. On the other hand, we need to search this cave for any clues about the Akatsuki and Gaara. But tread carefully; we are dealing with the Akatsuki after all," he warned. They all nodded in affirmation before stepping into the dark cave.

The inside of the cave was fairly large, almost as large as the clearing that sat at its doorstep. The group of shinobi carefully advanced forward using the small amount of light that spilled in from the large entrance. Kiba, who had been sniffing the air ever since they entered, raised his hand to stop the group and warn them of a presence in front of them.

"Up there; it smells of Gaara, clay, iron, and…death

When their eyes finally adjusted to the dim lighting, they immediately noticed two figures clad in black cloaks and what looked like a giant white bird sitting at the other side of the cave.

Deidara and Sasori were resting peacefully in the back of the hide out when the boulder placed in front of the entrance suddenly shattered. Shortly after, 5 figures and what looked like a giant dog eased their way in. The figures all stopped after walking for some time and Deidara took it as that they had been found out. _'Time to get this over with I guess,'_ he groaned to himself as he stepped forward.

"Well look who it is. Some run-of-the-mill Leaf ninja and a washed up old hag," Deidara spoke to the group.

"Give us back the Kazekage," Kakashi said in a sharp tone.

"Oh him?" Deidara asked as he pointed back to the large bird that had the limp form of Gaara hanging out of its mouth. It then tilted his head back and swallowed Gaara's body whole. "Naw, I was thinking we could hold on to him. Besides, Sasori-senpai might make a puppet out of him later if Leader-sama finds no use for it," he said invoking a response from the youngest of the group.

"You bastards! Give us back Gaara before I rip you to shreds!" Kiba roared.

Deidara scoffed at his threat. "Please, a little brat like you? You might have a chance in say, 10 to 20 years. Come back and challenge me then." Kiba stood there growling and poised to attack. He would have had the other Akatsuki dude spoke.

"Deidara stop playing around. Get out of here and go back to base. I'll stay here and finish them off," Sasori ordered his junior.

"Aww but I wanted to show them my art Sasori-senpai," Deidara whined. Sasori snorted.

"That useless display of explosives that you call art? Ha! That's not art. Fine art is something that's traverses the sands of time and still maintains its elegance, much like my puppets," Sasori said.

Deidara was about to retort but he sensed an attack coming at him. He leapt up into the air and swiftly dodge the two mini cyclones that struck where he once stood. He heard dog boy curse at his attack's failure as he landed on the bird, which pushed off the ground and into the air.

"Deidara, leave now!" Sasori commanded.

"Yeah, yeah I'm going!" the blonde shouted back as he flew towards the entrance.

"Damn it he's getting away!" Kurenai cursed.

"We must not let him escape," Gai said.

Kakashi stood there quickly formulating a plan. He was slightly taken aback by the duo's sudden argument but now his mind was back on track. "Gai's right, he can't escape. Kiba, Akamaru and I are the best at tracking so we'll pursue him. Can you guys handle this guy on your own?"

"Most definitely my youthful Eternal Rival. We shall blow this monstrosity of a man awat with the Power of Youth!" Guy exclaimed assuming his 'nice guy' pose. Kakashi smiled at his rival.

"Alright then, I'll leave it to you. Kiba, Akamaru, let's go!" Kakashi yelled and the two ninja and ninken hurriedly left the cave to pursue the fleeing Deidara.

"Yosh! Kurenai-san, Chiyo-baasama, let's let our Flames of Youth explode!" Gai fist pumped.

* * *

><p>Naruto was sitting by idly waiting for something to develop when a large white bird with a blonde man in an Akatsuki cloak barreled out of the cave entrance and shot over him at an amazing speed. As he passed, Naruto caught the faintest glimpse of a familiar smell waft pass his nose. 'There's no doubt about it, that was Gaara. Deidara must have him.' He was about to call Latios and take off after the ballistic bomber but he stopped when he saw Kakashi, Kiba, and Akamaru emerge from the cave, hot on his trail.<p>

Naruto hid back in the tree until they passed. He was now at a loss for how to approach the situation. If he pursue them, he would be able to save Gaara and possibly eliminate an Akatsuki member, but at the same time he would have to confront Konoha-nin, one who just happened to be his old sensei.

Fighting the Akatsuki and Konoha would leave even him winded and there was the possibility of being captured by either side. One would mercilessly rip the chakra entity that was Kyūbi from his body and the other would forcibly return him to his old village, where he would face persecution once more and possibly face death. Neither option sounded favorable. After pondering on it for a second, Naruto came to a conclusion.

'_I'll tail them hang back to see what happens. If they get into a fight, I'll wait for an opportune moment to strike own Deidara and free Gaara. If I'm lucky, Kakashi and Kiba will be too tired out to put up a front.'_

Naruto called Latios who swung by and picked up his master. Latios soared high into the sky to avoid detection as they headed south to catch up to the fleeing Deidara and his pursuers.

* * *

><p>"<em><strong>Dynamic Entry!"<strong>_

Gai's attack finally hit home on the fleeing Sasori and he watch as the body before him shattered. A young boy with short, red hair stepped out of the disfigured corpse. Chiyo gasped when she saw his face.

"Sasori, there's no way. How are you so young?" she asked.

Sasori turned his uninterested gaze to her. "I see the Sands of Time haven't been as nice to you as they have to me…grandmother." A look of shock adorned Kurenai's face and Gai let out an exaggerated gasped.

"Chiyo-baasama, is this true? This unyouthful lad here is your own grandson?" he asked. Chiyo merely nodded. "Yes, it's true. Sasori is my son's son and was a Suna shinobi before he defected 20 years ago. There's absolutely no way he should look so young though,"

"Perhaps he is using a henge technique just like Tsunade-sama to hide his true form," Kurenai offered as insight. Chiyo snorted.

"I highly he has anything visual to hide unlike that old hag," Gai was about respond about how she shouldn't talk about their leader such an unyouthful way when they all jumped a few feet back to avoid a huge black spike that converged on their position.

Sasori stood a few feet away with an annoyed look. He grew tired of them and summoned the his Third Kazekage puppet. Utilizing the body's natural affinity for Magnet Release, be conjured forth the Third's legendary Iron Sand and tried to end them all at once.

"I grow tired of this Grandmother. Allow me to end your feeble existence once and for all here and now," Sasori said as he sent iron spikes, courtesy of the Third Kazekage, at them. They all dispersed from their current position to evade the incoming attack. Gai slid to a stop before charging directly at Sasori hoping to engage the missing-nin in taijutsu.

Just as he got close, he was intercepted by Sasori's puppet, which swung at him with its blade covered arm. Gai backflipped away to avoid being lacerated.

"Gai-san you must proceed with caution," Chiyo warned him. "Sasori is known for using highly toxic poisons and you could get infected from the slightest cut if you're not careful."

The aforementioned man sent smirked and sent his puppet on a crash course toward the green glad ninja. Gai backpedaled and dodge the numerous lethal strikes thrown his way. Dodging one particular strong swipe, he made a beeline for Sasori. But right as he got to him, the puppet intercepted him again and Gai began him long and tedious routine of flipping and dodging all over again.

While Gai was fleeing for his life, Chiyo took this time to unseal two puppets. One had a striking resemblance to Sasori and it was named 'Father'. The other puppet, 'Mother', had long brown hair. Kurenai was busy trying to assess the situation when the older woman spoke to her.

"Kurenai-san, I'm going to engage him directly with my own puppets. With his attention focused on two different fronts, he will be left wide open so you should hide away and wait for an opportune time to strike him down." Kurenai nodded and disappeared into the shadows with a genjutsu.

Sasori was so focused on eliminating the weird man clad in that sickly, green jumpsuit that he almost didn't catch the movement in his peripherals. Left jumped back just in time to dodge the blade aimed at his neck courtesy of a red-haired puppet that he recognized all to well.

"So you're you those worthless things huh? You truly are pathetic grandmother," he told the elderly woman.

"Sasori, these were the first puppets you ever created. You didn't seem to think that way about them when you were younger," Chiyo responded. Sasori remained impassive as he recalled the Third Kazekage to his side. Gai finally caught a breather when he slid to a stop beside Chiyo.

"Gai-san, stand tall if you can. We must distract him long enough until Kurenai-san can take him down."

"Chiyo-baasama, is do you have a plan in mind?" Gai panted.

"Yeah, don't get poisoned and stay alive," she answered.

Gai regained his breath and stood tall. "Yosh, let our Flames of Youth explode!" he exclaimed as he opened the first of the Eight Gates.

* * *

><p>Kakashi and Kiba were feverously pursing the fleeing Deidara. Kiba was almost certain he felt another presence nearby when they left the cave, but Kakashi had reminded him that they needed to focus on the task at hand. But he just couldn't shake the feeling that something else was out there…<p>

"Kiba look out!" Kakashi shouted.

Kiba snapped back to reality to see two clay canaries flying straight at him. He grunted as he kicked Akamaru in the side, who barely missed the explosive projectiles. After recovering, the Inuzuka duo quickly fell in step behind Kakashi again.

"Kiba focus! He's an S-Rank missing-nin and he won't hesitate to kill you," Kakashi reprimanded the young ninja.

"S-Sorry Kakashi-sensei," Kiba said sheepishly.

Deidara was annoyed when the Leaf-nin caught up with him but now he was highly irked that he couldn't shake them. The little one and his mutt kept launching at him with some weird cyclone jutsu and when he flew high up the silver-haired one would cast a strange space-time jutsu at him that sucked in everything nearby. He had already lost his remaining arm to that damnable technique. He was now speeding away as fast as he could but no matter how hard he tried, the Leaf-nin.

Deidara saw a large grassy plain approaching and decided that's where he would make his stand. Swept low to the ground and hopped off, sliding to a stop. The giant bird deposited Gaara's cold body beside him before swinging back around and making a beeline for his pursuers.

Kakashi cursed a the clay bird headed straight for them. There was no time to dodge and even if there was, it would just explode and they would be caught in the blast. As the bird drew closer, Kakashi activated his Mangekyō Sharingan. The ballistic animal exploded a mere ten feet from them and they were headed straight for the blast. With great precision, a little luck, and possibly the slightest hint of divine intervention, Kakashi activated his jutsu in the middle of the explosion, which in turn sucked into another dimension.

Deidara growled when he saw that damn space-time jutsu eat his explosion and his pursuers landed safely on the far side of the field, though the taller one was barely holding up.

"Damn it stop following me! Why are you guys so persistent, yeah?" Deidara shouted at the trio.

"Give us back Gaara you worthless Akatsuki trashed!" Kiba yelled back.

Deidara was almost seething at that moment. The little leaf punk was working his last nerve. He decided to try and get under his skin. "This worthless thing?" Deidara said kicking Gaara's body, eliciting a growl from Kiba. "Why do you want it? we've already sucked out his Tailed-Beast," he informed them.

Kakashi's face stiffened. His comment made him remember what Chiyo had said a about jinchūriki on the way to the hideout. "If a tailed beasts is extracted from its jinchūriki, then the host will die."

Deidara watched as realization hit them like a brick wall. A smirk found its way to his face as he continued to beleaguer his enemies.

"Guess that means you understand now, yeah. He's nothing more than a lifeless husk now!" Deidara cackled.

Kiba could no longer contain his anger. He took out a food pills and gave one to himself and Akamaru, causing his fur to turn an angry red. _**"Ninja Art of Beast Mimicry: All-Fours Jutsu!"**_Kiba dropped down to all fours as his nails and canine teeth elongated, giving him a more feral appearance. He let out an angry howl before he and Akamaru took off in a burst of speed. Kakashi stayed behind panting and trying to catch his breath. It was bad enough that his normal Sharingan drained his chakra constantly, but using his Mangekyō and its techniques like that repeatedly was suicidal. He would succumb to chakra exhaustion any moment now.

Deidara cursed when saw the dog-boy and his mutt charging at him at insane speeds. He rolled under a roundhouse only to be head-butted by Akamaru. Deidara stumbled back and had little time to regain his balance before Kiba was in his face again throwing kicks and slashes with those troublesome claws of his. He just kept dodging and backpedaling, waiting for an opening to counterattack.

Kiba's rage grew and blinded him even more with each missed strike. Even with his enhanced speed, the nukenin's reflexes proved to be too much for him. _**"Fang over Fang!"**_ Kiba and Akamaru began rotating at extreme speeds, forming twin cyclones that converged on the missing-nin. Deidara cursed as felt one of the Cyclones scraped against his side and he was frantically leaping around the field to avoid being shredded to death.

* * *

><p>Gai panted as he slid to a stop. He looked over to Chiyo to see that the elderly woman wasn't fairing any better. Shortly after they literally shattered the Third Kazekage puppet through the efforts of their teamwork, Sasori unveiled his true form. He had turned himself into a human puppet which was the secret behind his youthful appearance. Then he released his ultimate technique that earned him his title as Sasori of the Red Sand. In order to counter his Performance of a Hundred Puppets, Chiyo was forced to use The Chikamatsu Collection of Ten Puppets and Gai unlocked the first four of the Eight Gates.<p>

They battled for what seemed like hours, slowly dwindling the numbers of Sasori's puppets while dodging random bursts of flames from Sasori himself. The destruction caused by their battle was enough to level the roof of the cave and obliterate most of the surrounding walls. With their number cut down to about sixty, Gai decided to go for a technique he was sure to eliminate the rest.

"Sixth Gate of Joy, open!" Air and chakra swirled around Gai in a maelstrom. A shockwave of the combined energies exploded from his position as he jumped high into the air. Sasori saw this and converged all his remaining puppets on his opponents position in the sky.

"I don't know what you're planning but I'll stop you before you get a chance to execute your plans!" he shouted at the green clad ninja. But he was too late. Gai had already taken his stance. _**"Asa Kujaku!" **_Gai let loose a barrage of punches against the puppets heading towards him. His hands were moving so fast that his fist were set ablaze by mere speed and friction.

Sasori watched in anger as the last of his puppets were destroyed by what looked like fireballs shooting from the green ninja's hands. Chiyo used Gai's attack as a distraction to make her move. Her grandson's lack of attention gave her all the time she needed to launch her attack. One of her puppets dropped a small white ball into her hands which she launched at the younger puppet user.

"Lion-Headed Kannon!" The small ball expanded into a giant Lion head laced with many sharp fangs. Sasori noticed the Giant head flying towards him but reacted too late to keep it from slamming into him and pinning him against the wall. _**"Sealing Technique: Lion Closing Roar!" **_A sealing formula in the shape of a diamond formed around Sasori and sealed away all his chakra. His limp body stuck to the wall behind the lion head.

Gai crashed back down back to the ground after he finished his technique and was knocked out of the Eight Gates. He lay motionless in the crater he made fighting to stay awake. "We did it. We defeated our opponent and Flames of Youth grow stronger because of this, especially you Chiyo-baasama," he panted.

Chiyo chuckled at his expense and the two remained there in silence enjoying the peace of the moment. Neither of them expected a blade to suddenly pierce Gai's abdomen. Gai snapped his eyes open to see an unharmed Sasori standing over him holding the sword that was dug into his stomach.

"You two…are troublesome," Sasori said in his usual stoic tone. He twisted the sword in his hand, making Gai cry out in pain. Chiyo stood back shuddering in fear. "I-Impossible! Your chakra should be sealed. You shouldn't be able to move!" She turned to see were his body should be but was even more confused to see it anchored to the wall, the seal still in place. She gaze snapped between the body and the Sasori before trying to decipher what exactly was happening.

Her eyes widened as the answer came to her. Sasori smirked when he saw the look of realization upon his grandmother's face. "I see you've figured it out Grandmother."

"T-The core in your chest. That's your human element! You truly are puppet. You ejected your core at the last second and switched bodies. You hid amongst the rubble of your puppets and waited for us to let our guard down." She said.

"And now," he began as he pulled his blade from Gai's body. "You shall both die!" He raised his sword above his head and brought it down on Gai's helpless prone figure. Gai closed his eyes and waited for the Shinigami to take him. He flinched as blood splattered onto his face, yet he felt no new wound on his figure. He opened his eyes and was grateful at the sight before him.

Sasori stood over him, his sword mere inches from his torso. He was frozen in place with a look of utter horror on his fate. Gai searched over him with his eyes and found the reason for his discomfort. Long sword extending through the core in Sasori's chest and blood dripped down the blade onto Gai. The wielder of the blade was none other than Kurenai.

Kurenai let out a sigh of relief. She made it in the nick of time. When she had seen Sasori get stapled to the wall with Chiyo's jutsu she was tempted to drop her genjutsu and rejoin her comrades. But when she saw Sasori sneaking up on him, she saw it as an opportunity to take down the assailant. She picked up a sword from one of his puppets and used it to slay him after she heard Chiyo explain his weakness.

"I-Impossible," Sasori stammered before slumping down to the earth, void of all life.

"Kurenai-san, your skills in Genjutsu is the source of your exuberant Flames of Youth! I am most grateful for the save!" he laughed. It was short lived as his laughter quickly turned to coughs and cries of pain.

"Gai-san!" Kurenai was instantly at his side assessing his wounds.

"He's been poisoned," Chiyo said as she knelt down beside Gai. "Unfortunately, Sasori was the benefactor of the poison and only he knows the cure."

"So were just gonna sit here and let him die!" Kurenai yelled.

"No not necessarily. I think I know something that might work," Chiyo said before going through a series of hand signs. _**"One's Own Life Reincarnation Jutsu!" **_Kurenai watched on in awe as the older woman place her hand's, encompassed by a blue aura, over Gai's torso. She looked on as toxic purple liquid seeped from the wound in Gai's abdomen before closing up with a hiss. The aura around Chiyo's hands dissolved and she fell backwards, but was caught by Kurenai.

Kurenai held the older woman and reminisced about the technique she had just witnessed. 'That jutsu just now…it was just like Tsunade-sama's. No…something about it was different…'

Gai awoke several minutes later feeling more rejuvenated than he ever had felt in his entire life. When he heard himself being addressed, he turned his head to meet eyes with Kurenai.

"It's good to see you're alright Gai-san."

"Yes, I feel great! It would appear that my Flames of Youth burned so brightly that the poison flowing through my veins was incinerated! This just goes to show you how strong the Power of Youth can be!" He exclaimed. Chiyo chuckled and Kurenai rolled his eyes at his proclamation. Gai's demeanor suddenly became serious.

"But there is no time to dilly-dally my most youthful comrades. Me must move out and retrieve the Kazekage before my Eternal Rival. I will prove now that my Flames of Youth are greater that Kakashi's. I shall not be beaten!" He yelled as he dashed out of the cave.

"Gai-san, this is a serious mission, not a completion!" Kurenai yelled as she ran after him, leaving a tired, slower moving Chiyo behind. "Young people these days…simply no patience at all," she huffed as she picked up speed.

* * *

><p>Deidara felt himself growing tired as he continued to evade Kiba's attack. Just as he was on the verge of collapsing, he noticed that his attackers were slowing down and figured they must be just as tired as him. This was the time to strike.<p>

Kiba felt his stamina and chakra draining quickly as he kept up his jutsu. He decided to end it and switch back to taijutsu. After all, his opponent didn't have any arms to counter him.

The moment Kiba stopped spinning, Deidara rushed forward and kneed him in his solar plexus, forcing all traces of oxygen in his lungs out of the younger boy's body. Kiba doubled over and fell to the ground trying to regain control over his breathing. Akamaru saw his partner's predicament and launched at Deidara, only to meet a kick to the head and fall into dark clutches of unconsciousness.

Kiba was still on the ground trying to breathe effectively only to have a foot slam into his diaphragm and knock out any air he had regained. Deidara smirked as he looked down at the helpless boy under his feet. "You're annoying you know that? Let's see how handle one of my strongest C2 techniques, yeah,"

After he was through speaking, his body began to swell and distort to bulbous proportions. "With this, I'll become art. Not that everlasting crap that Sasori-senpai speaks of, but something beautiful and instantaneous, for art is an explosion!"

Kiba was overloaded with fear. He still couldn't breathe and he was powerless under his enemy's foot. Seconds from doomsday, his mind was swarmed with regrets. _'Mom, Hana…I'm sorry. I can't follow in dad's footsteps and become clan head. I let my team down. Shino…Kurenai-sensei…I'm sorry. And Hinata…I never got to tell you how I feel.'_

Kakashi struggled in vain to stand. He lacked the necessary chakra to use Kamui and his body refused to follow his commands. And to make matters worse, the cold grasp of unconsciousness was trying to overtake his mind. Once again, he was powerless to save a comrade. _'History seems to keep repeating itself on me. First Obito, then Rin, Minato-sensei, Naruto and Sasuke, and now this. I've failed once again…I guess this is where I meet my end,' _

Deidara smiled as he reached the apex of his growth. "Now you will see what true art is! Die Leaf shinobi!" Kiba winced and shut his eyes tightly, waiting for this harbinger of destruction to send him to the afterlife. He waited with bated breath for the sound of the explosion to envelope his ears, but it never came. Instead, he heard the sound of wind whipping and flesh tearing. He opened his eyes to see Deidara quivering.

"Impossible! I should have exploded. I should have become art!" Deidara's lower half fell backwards while his upper body slumped to the side and fell to the ground, revealing the slash from his right shoulder to his left hip that bisected him.

With Deidara's body removed from view, Kiba caught a glimpse of his savior. His back has turned to him and he was crouching low to the ground. Beneath his billowing black cloak he could make out a red coat that was held in place by an orange rope belt that was tied around his waist that also held what he presumed was a red sword sheathe. His right arm was poised behind him and he held a red-hilted chokutō. Small golden sparks danced across his blade.

The man stood tall again revealing his bright blonde hair. Wind whipped through his hair and brought his fragrance to Kiba. The young Inuzuka was awestruck by the scent. It was vaguely familiar. It smelled faintly of pine and the forest that was overshadowed by the smell of snakes and blood. A memory long suppressed by despair and time rose t the surface. There was only one person he knew that smelled like that.

The man before him still had yet to turn around. The only movement he made was sheathing his sword and his hair was flowing with the wind. After a few moments, he let out a deep sigh, and spoke as he turned around. "It's been a while hasn't it…Kiba."

Kiba barely contained himself from going into shock. The blonde hair, sky-blue eyes, and the whisker marks that adorned his cheeks. The scent made sense now. Kiba stuttered in fear as he finally found his voice. "N-Naruto, is that really you?"

* * *

><p>I wasn't really that big a fan of the Sasori fight, so I kinda danced around it. Also still need to know if this counts as a crossover with Latios in here... But any way, that was Chapter 3. Please R &amp; R everyone. If you guys like the story, please share it with others. The more the merrier! :D Look for me and a new chap next Saturday. Til then, peace everyone - White Chidori ^-^<p> 


	4. Old Friends, New Circumstances

Hits: 2,154

Favorites: 42

Alerts: 41

And I've only put up three chapters! I really didn't expect my story to get this kind of attention so fast. Not that I'm complaining! I give up asking for reviews though. It's not happening as often as I'd like so i say F it. But if i could get just a few like TNTkitten's, Ruckyree Dun Goof'd's, or Jiraiya the Super Pervert's, I'll be satisfied.

I decided to upload to today because i'm not sure when's the next time i'll get online since next week is spring break for me (Woop!). Also, Mass Effect 3 just dropped and anyone whose anyone knows how epic that game is!

Last thing before the story, I kinda ran into a problem. I know what major events i want to happen but i'm kinda at a loss for ideas for the story. i kinda just make it up as i go, not really the plan ahead type. So if anyone has an idea for the story, PM me. If I can integrate it into the story without changing the plot line then i just might put it in. You can send them in now but I won't add anything til after i introduce another major character in chapter six.

Anyway, here's the long awaited confrontation between Naruto and his old comrades! *Excited gasps escapes the audience* Looks out for any mistakes please. Without further adieu, here's...

* * *

><p>Chapter IV: Old Friends, New Circumstances<p>

Kakashi stared in disbelief across the field. He was positive that standing over the prone figure of Kiba was his long lost blonde charge. Kakashi was dumbstruck. Naruto was missing for three years and left no kind of trace, but here he stood not thirty feet away from him. His attire underwent a major change and he was much taller but he was still Naruto.

Kiba was just as shocked as Kakashi. Here stood one of his missing comrades thought to be dead, alive and well. Maybe it's all a dream…? Yep, that's exactly what it is. This is all one big joke from Kami that he pulled on everyone when they got to Heaven. Kiba was far from amused.

"Haha very funny Kami! What kinda a way is that to welcome someone to heaven?" Kiba shouted to the sky. Naruto eyed the brunette boy quizzically.

"Kiba what the hell are you talking about?" Naruto asked in a flat tone.

"Don't play coy with me! I know you're in on it! Just because you changed clothes doesn't mean you're not the same prankster we all know. You and Kami-sama thought it'd be funny to mess with me when I got to heaven. Well it won't work!" Kiba retorted.

'What joke is he talking about?' Naruto thought to himself. "Kiba, I think you've spent to much time in the sun,"

"Shut it Uzumaki! Just tell Kami-sama to come out already."

'You're not dead you idiot."

"You're the idiot! I was freaking under a bomb that exploded at point-blank range! How can I not be dead?" Kiba yelled as he found his way back to his feet.

"You mean that bomb?" Naruto asked motioning to the bisected body of Deidara, which was now chalky white in color, revealing it to be a clay clone. He then took a step toward Kiba and flicked him in the forehead.

"Ow! What the hell was that for?" Kiba growled.

"If you were dead, that wouldn't hurt…idiot"

Realization soon overcame Kiba. He didn't explode into a million tiny pieces, he didn't die, and he hasn't being pranked by Naruto in Heaven! Wait, Naruto's here, which means…

"OH MY GOD, NARUTO YOU'RE ALIVE!" Kiba shouted pointing an accusing finger at the blonde.

"That's generally the case when I'm standing here breathing just like you." Naruto replied stoically.

Kiba ignored the sarcasm in his tone. "Do you know what this means Naruto? You can finally come home. What will everyone think? Tsunade-sama's gonna have a heart attack and Sakura just might hyperventilate! But who cares! You'll be back home and you can be a ninja again, and you can see all our friends again, and eat tons of ramen at Ichiraku, and-"

"No"

"What?"

"I said no," Naruto reiterated.

"What do you mean no?" Kiba asked.

"No as in I'm not going back to Konoha," Naruto said plainly.

"Why the hell not? You have to come back!" Kiba nearly shouted.

Naruto narrowed his eyes and Kiba winced at the dark tone of his voice as he spoke. "I don't have to do a damn thing. Why the hell should I go back?"

"Because Naruto, you have friends and people that love and care about you!"

"So? There's also people there that despise my very existence for something out of my control." Naruto shot back.

Kiba cast his friend a sympathetic look. It was true that people used to alienate Naruto just because he held the Kyūbi. They only saw him the demonic beast that wiped out their village instead of the bright, hyperactive kid that held it. But things weren't like that anymore.

"Naruto you're not the Kyūbi! And people don't think of you as such anymore. People changed. You gotta come back," Kiba tried to reassure him. Naruto's scowl only deepened.

"Give me three reasons why I should _consider _coming back."

"All of your friends miss y-"

"Pass." Naruto interrupted him. Kiba flinched at his uncaring tone.

"Tsunade-sama greatly misses you. She nearly fell into a depression after you disappeared. We just want to see her happy again. We want to see you happy."

"Next." Kiba felt his anger starting to boil at the blonde's impassiveness. "So you're just going to leave your father's legacy behind?" Naruto raised an eyebrow at that. His was interested piqued.

"Kiba, everyone knows I'm an orphan; I have no parents. What the hell are to talking about?"

Kiba smirked. Maybe this would be enough to convince him. "After you left, the villagers began to have festivals in honor of your departure." Kiba saw the scowl on Naruto's face grow more intense and decided to hurriedly explain before the situation got out of control. "Tsunade-sama tried to put a stop to it but the council wouldn't let her. So as a way of getting back at them, she gathered everyone in the center of the village and told everyone of your heritage and what really happened the night the Kyūbi attacked. Naruto, you're the son of Konoha's greatest heroes, the Fourth Hokage himself!"

Kiba felt his stomach churn when Naruto's face went stoic again. "Kiba, lying is going to help your argument," Naruto said flatly.

"I'm not lying! Tsunade said so herself! You can ask anyone. The villagers stopped throwing festivals and most feel bad about the way they treated you," Kiba argued.

"Let's say I believe you Kiba. You expect me to go back to a place where I was utterly hated with open arms because they said they apologized? Sorry, not gonna happen. The damage is done and I'm not gonna go back just so they can swoon over me because of my heritage. And as far as I'm concerned, if the Fourth really is my father, then he can burn in hell."

Kiba's anger was beginning to surface. "Naruto you're being unreasonable!" Kiba yelled.

Naruto hung his head and his hair draped over his now hidden eyes. "I'M being unreasonable? NO, KIBA YOU'RE THE UNREAASONABLE ONE! I was openly despised, no one gave me the time of day, and I damn near lost my fucking life on to many occasions to count! If you really cared about my happiness, then you would understand exactly why I refused to go back to that cursed place. You guys don't miss me. You miss the idiot that made you all laugh and some you could make fun of. You're all selfish and I refuse to be that person anymore. I'm gonna follow my own path. Find yourself another class clown because I'm done."

Kiba was at his boiling point. If his friend wasn't going to listen to reason then he was just gonna have to use force. But before he could even make a move, something whizzed pass his head and he heard the loud clang of metal hitting metal. He looked up to see Naruto, who was refitted with his uninterested mask again, holding his sword in front of his face and two kunai falling to the ground. He turned around to see who the mystery assailant was.

* * *

><p>Tenten made her way towards Kakashi and Kiba's last reported location. After disposing of her doppelganger, She left to find her comrades since she was closest while Hinata left to regroup. Kakashi had reported over the headset that they were pursuing a man with blond hair in a black coat. The man was with Akatsuki and was in possession of the Kazekage. So naturally, when she finally caught up to them and saw Kiba standing across from a blonde man in a black cloak, she attempted to take him out.<p>

But her attack was foiled when then man pulled out a sword and swatted her kunai away like flies. They said he rode on an "oversized pigeon" as Kiba put it and made clay animals that he could make explode. They neglected to mention he had a sword, and a very nice one at that. She landed in the clearing next to Kiba who gave her a confused look.

"Tenten? What are you doing here?" he asked.

"I hear to back you guys up stupid. Is this the guy?" she asked unsealing a kusari-gama.

"Um, not exactly…" Kiba replied.

"Not exactly? What the hell Kiba, is this the guy or not?" She raised her voice. She took another look at the blonde man and absorbed his appearance. Spiky blonde hair, ocean blue eyes, three whisker marks on each cheek- wait…what? She knew of only one person that fit that description.

"N-Naruto? Impossible you're supposed to be dead," she asked hesitantly. Her answer was a glare directed at her. "Why the hell does everyone think I'm dead? Konoha's spy network must be lacking if they believe me to be dead," he said.

Tenten was confused at first but then excitement quickly washed over. "Wait you're alive! Now you can come back home and-"

"Not gonna happen," Naruto interrupted.

"What? Why?" Tenten asked confused.

"Because he still has animosity towards the village for the way the treated him. He doesn't believe that things have changed," Kiba explained. Tenten was left dumbstruck by the information and Naruto took this time to voice his intentions.

"Look, meeting you guys here was nice and everything, but I can't stay. I only came to save Gaara. But it seems I was too late…" Naruto said with a downcast look. but as fast as it came, the sadness left him and he looked straight ahead at them again. "The best I can do now is return his body to Suna and that's exactly what I'm going to do so if you would excuse me," Naruto said as he turned away from the bewildered pair.

He didn't make it very far before he had to somersault away to avoid an incoming attack. The ground where he once stood exploded and a cloud of dirt and debris shot up. When the dust cleared, he saw Lee with his foot planted firmly in the middle of the mini crater casting a glare in his direction. He also he movement behind him and turned his head to find Gaara's body missing. He turned back around to find it being held by Shino, who stood beside Kiba. In the clearing now stood Shino, Hinata holding a still unconscious Akamaru, Kurenai, Chiyo, Neji, and Gai who was supporting an exhausted Kakashi. They were all casting glares at Naruto.

Lee was the first to speak. "You will not prevail in your unyouthful schemes this day!" the green clad ninja exclaimed. Naruto just stared at him in disinterest. Lee did a double take on the man before him. He couldn't possibly be…

"Naruto?" he asked.

"Lee," Naruto replied.

Lee's eyes widened in excitement. "Naruto, my most youthful friend it really is you!" everyone behind him except Kiba, Tenten, Kakashi, and Chiyo gasped. The older woman was confused at everyone's bewilderment.

"Naruto, is that really you? I thought you died," Neji asked stepping forward. Naruto's face deadpanned and didn't grace him with a response. I was really annoying that everyone thought he was dead.

"I don't have time for this. Just hand over Gaara's body and I'll be on my way," Naruto said to the large group before him. Everyone looked as his like he'd grown another head except Kiba, who had dropped into his taijutsu stance.

"Sorry, can't do that Naruto. You're coming with us." Kiba said to the blonde across from him, who remained emotionless.

"What's the meaning of this Kiba? Why are you attacking Naruto?" Neji asked the younger ninja.

"Naruto refuses to return to Konoha peacefully. If that's the case, then it is our duty to capture him and bring him back ourselves. He is a missing-nin after all," He said simply. Everyone looked at him with shocked faces then turned to Naruto.

"Naruto, is this true?" Kakashi asked in a hoarse voice.

"Yes and I've made up my mind," the blonde replied. He raised an eyebrow as he watched Neji, Tenten, and Lee slip into their own battle stances. "So this is how it's gonna be huh…" he said to no one in particular. He removed his sword from its sheathe and held it in its usual reverse-grip. "I don't want to hurt you guys," Naruto warned them.

Kiba scoffed at his remark. "Hurt us? You're outnumbered four to one! You should be more worried about yourself."

"Kiba, don't underestimate your opponent, especially someone like Naruto. He wasn't Konoha's most unpredictable ninja for nothing you know. I highly doubt he's been sitting around idly for the last three years," Neji berated him.

"You should listen to him Kiba," Naruto began, "That Inuzuka arrogance of yours will get you killed one day." Kiba snarled at him. The blonde dead last was definitely going to get it now.

"But come on Neji, it Naruto were talking about. He can't be all that powerful can he?" Tenten asked. This earned her a glare from said blonde.

"Big talk for a Plain-Jane kunoichi like yourself."

Tenten right eye twitched in annoyance. "Oh he's definitely going down," she growled.

"Yosh! I will finally get to test my Flames of Youth against a worthy opponent and bring my most youthful friend home!" Lee exclaimed excitedly.

"Lee calm down, don't just rush in. We need a plan," Neji said.

"Oh shut up Neji and let's get this over with already!" Kiba shouted and rushed forward to engage his old friend.

"I'm kinda with wit Kiba on this one," Tenten said as she ran forward spinning her kusari-gama.

"Yosh!" Lee shouted as he followed their suit. Neji grumbled something incoherent about brash younger ninjas and a lack of tact before rushing forward. Naruto didn't even flinch as the four ninja flocked towards him.

Kiba reached him first and slashed out at him with elongated claws. Naruto merely sidestepped and with his open hand, grabbed Kiba by the wrist and flung him away effortlessly.

He then immediately raised his sword to block a strike from the sickle of Tenten's chain-scythe. She snatched the sickle back to her hand and quickly closed the distance between them. She lashed out at him vigorously, intent on making him regret ever calling her 'Plain-Jane'. Naruto swiftly dodge all of her strikes, earning a growl from the brunette.

He enjoyed putting to use his training in the art of evasion Orochimaru had put him and Sasuke through. He claimed that they needed to swift if they wanted to survive his training regimen. They figured he was bluffing but quickly learned how serious he was after coming within a centimeter of death on multiple occasions.

He also incorporated it into his fighting style. He was laid back when he fought and just dodged his opponent's strikes, waiting for the right chance to counterattack, which is exactly what he was doing to the flustered brunette kunoichi before him.

"Damn it stop moving you slippery little bastard!" She yelled as she swung at his neck.

"Sure Tenten, I'll just stand here and let you hack me into little tiny pieces. Sounds delightful," He said deflecting another attempt at his stomach.

Tenten was not amused by his sarcasm and she swung with more ferocity. "Fight me like a man Naruto!"

"That's just it, I'm not a man. I'm only sixteen. Now calm down Tenten before I'm forced to retaliate. I really hate the idea of hitting a girl and I don't want that on my conscious for the rest of the day," Naruto responded. Tenten was even more intent on striking down the blonde where he stood. He had just played the gender card, the upmost insulting thing for a kunoichi. He was undermining her skills and would now pay dearly for it.

Naruto calmly blocked and evaded Tenten's attacks, now fueled with blind rage. He was biding his time and waiting for an opening all the while trying to keep his head intact. Seeing the chance he was looking for after a failed downward slash at his shoulder, he slammed his blade down with pinpoint precision into one of the links of her weapon's chain.

Tenten cursed as her weapon was pinned to the ground. Naruto had succeeded in breaking her usual level-headed demeanor ant sent her into a blind fury. She was now paying for that mistake. She tried to pull her weapon free along with Naruto's sword but he had a firm grip on it. Using his sword arm and right leg as a pivot, Naruto swung his other leg out and launched a kick at the brown-haired kunoichi. Cutting her losses, Tenten abandoned her weapon and flipped away. She had to calm down and regain composure before engaging him again.

Naruto senses picked up movement behind him and he ducked under the incoming attack. Lee had gotten behind Naruto while Tenten engaged him in a deadly dance. Using the element of surprise, he attempted to end the fight quickly with a well place kick to the head. Unfortunately, Naruto ducked under it and he hit nothing but air. Leaving his sword in the ground, Naruto spun around quickly in his crouched position and grabbed Lee's grounded leg.

Utilizing his opponent's unbalanced stance, Naruto shot upward and flipped Lee off the ground. Naruto immediately delivered a roundhouse to the boy's chest while he was still in midair and sent Lee flying. Sensing another presence behind him, Naruto prepared to face his next opponent.

Neji rushed forward to face the blonde. His surprise attacked failed when Naruto turned and deflected his strike. Neji kept launching Gentle Fist strikes at him and Naruto just backpedaled as the Hyūga pressed on. This is exactly was Neji wanted. He had to distance Naruto away from his sword. From what he had observed so far, he was quite adept in kenjutsu and would prove to be a most troublesome opponent with it in his possession.

Naruto frown as more distance was put between him and his sword. It was obvious that Neji had analyzed his capabilities with it and was trying to prevent him from using it. He cursed as he felt a tenketsu in his forearm close. He had to counter Neji and quick less he wanted to end up in a near-vegetative.

Neji pressed on in his assault, waiting for the blonde to slip up. He couldn't dodge forever and when he tired, he would just close the necessary tenketsu and render him motionless. Luck to seemed to be on his side as he saw Naruto slip in a particular patch of grass and lose balance. _'Now's my chance!'_

"_**Gentle Fist Art: Eight Trigrams Sixty-Four Palms!"**_ Neji called out as he rushed the helpless blonde.

"_**Two Palms!"**_ Two tenketsu in Naruto's left shoulder closed.

"_**Four Palms!"**_ Another four near his right lung shut down.

"_**Eight Palms!"**_ And octad of hits landed home on his abdomen.

"_**Sixteen Palms!"**_ More strikes rained down on his upper arms.

"_**Thirty Palms!"**_ a barrage of blows found their marks all across Naruto's torso.

"_**Eight Trigrams Sixty-Four Palms!"**_ Neji shouted as he slammed his hand against Naruto's sternum and ended his assault. However, he didn't count on the Naruto before him to poof in a white cloud of smoke. _'A shadow clone? But When?,'_ His only answer was an emotionless voice behind him.

"My turn, _**Wind Style: Beast Wave Gale Palm!**_" A large mass of chakra flowed from Naruto's hand. It took the shape of a demonic hand and shot forward.

Neji looked wide-eyed as the attack approached him. _**"Eight Trigrams Palms Rotation!" **_Neji called out as he released chakra from tenketsu all over his body and began to spin rapidly, forming a circular, protective shell.

Naruto's jutsu slammed into the side of Neji's chakra dome and they violently grinded against each other. Neji pumped out more chakra and spun faster to push against the destructive blast of wind that seemed to want nothing more than to break through his defenses and tear him to shreds. After what seemed forever and a day, the two jutsu cancelled each other out and dissipated, leaving behind a heavily panting Neji. His clothes were littered with cuts from small blades of wind that managed to slip through. He cast a glare at the blonde across from him.

"Is that all you got?" Neji asked smugly as he resettled into his fighting stance. Naruto smirked and charged at the wavering Hyūga.

* * *

><p>Hinata was conflicted as she watched the scene before her develop. She was shocked that Naruto was there, happy that he wasn't dead, sad that he wouldn't come back home, and scared as she watched her friends fight. Her emotions were having an all-out war within her and she had no idea what to do. There was only one clear thought in her mind throughout all this. <em>'Naruto-kun…he's really alive…'<em>

* * *

><p>Chiyo looked up from her kneeling position beside Gaara to observe the battle. She was puzzled as to why the younger ninja were fighting against someone they called friend. She concluded that he must be a missing-nin. <em>'Young people these days with their quest for power,'<em> she grumbled to herself before returning to the task at hand. Gaara was indeed dead but she would soon remedy that.

She was using her Reincarnation technique to revive the fallen leader. Sure the cost was her life, but she felt she owed it to him. If she hadn't sealed Shukaku into his as a baby in the first place, then the boy wouldn't have died at the beast's expense. All was going smoothly as she held her chakra incased hands over Gaara's corpse. But there was one sight problem…

"Not enough chakra," Chiyo panted as the aura around her hands became unstable. If she couldn't finish the technique now, then she would have to wait for her chakra to replenish and by the time that happens, Gaara's soul will have already left the mortal plane.

Chiyo tried desperately to continue the jutsu by using every bit of chakra that she could muster. But I was no use. She was about to give up hope until she felt a pair of warm hands cover her own. She raised her downtrodden gaze to see Kurenai giving her a warm smile. "Take mine, Chiyo-sama. I have plenty left." Chiyo smiled at her gesture of kindness as she pulled on the younger woman's chakra. It would seem that Gaara would live after all…

* * *

><p>Naruto growled as ducked under another swipe from Kiba's claws. The boy's speed and his bestial mentality made him a force to be reckoned with, a fact Naruto knew all too well from the Chūnin Exam preliminaries three years prior. Naruto was losing ground in this fight. He was outnumbered and they were making a great effort to keep him away from his sword. He didn't want to hurt them but there was no other choice if he wanted to make it out of this. <em>'This is getting tedious. I have to end this.' <em>

Sidestepping a punch aimed at his stomach, Naruto stepped in close to Kiba's guard. He delivered a powerful knee to his solar plexus, then grabbed Kiba by the back of the head and drove his other knee straight into his face, knocking him out instantly. Naruto gently laid his body on the ground before jumping away to avoid a slash across his back.

Naruto faced his assailant to see Tenten lunging and slicing at him. And she was using his sword! Tenten smirked as she attacked the elusive blonde. He sure had a hell of a weapon, one that she planned to keep for herself after he was caught as a way of replacing the one he broke. See kept swinging at Naruto trying do disable him in any kind of way. See saw her chance when he stumbled slightly. Tenten smirked and lunged forward at his abdomen. Little de she know that would be her undoing.

Naruto smirked when he saw Tenten fall for his feint. At the last possible second, he spun his body around the blade and grabbed the hilt with his left hand. He continued to twist his body and slammed his right elbow into the base of her neck. Her grasp on his sword loosened and he never saw the look of surprise and horror as she fell into a deep slumber.

Naruto heard footsteps approaching him and he turned to see Lee running full speed at him. Naruto gave the boy credit for his endurance and determination, but he had to end the battle quickly. The blonde stuck his sword in the ground before flipping through three hand signs and inhaling deeply. _**"Wind Style: Unrelenting Force!" **_Naruto exhaled and a powerful gust of wind exploded from his mouth.

Lee skidded to a stop when he felt the blast of wind approaching him and braced himself. Unfortunately for him, it wasn't enough. The gust slammed into lee with unimaginable power and sent him catapulting backwards where he slammed into a tree at the edge of the clearing and lost consciousness.

Neji stared in awe as Naruto's jutsu launched his teammate across the field. This definitely was not the idiotic blonde he fought in the Finals three years ago. Even when outnumbered, he was making short work of them. It's almost as if he wasn't even trying before now. Neji growled and pulled out a kunai before making a mad dash for the blonde, intending on ending the battle once and for all.

Naruto felt the killer intent focused on him and he saw Neji, kunai in hand, barreling across the field straight at him. _'Only one left,' _Naruto thought as he picked up his sword. He sprinted straight at Neji to meet him head on, both boys with the same thought in mind. '_Time to end this!'_

Time slowed as they drew closer and closer. Both held the weapons poised to attack. It was only a matter of time before the met and the inevitable happened. But it never did.

Naruto ran at the Hyūga but was too engrossed in the current situation to pick up the other presence heading for him. By the time he did, it was too late. He cursed himself for being careless and waited for someone to blindside him. Instead, said person just slammed into his chest, stopping him movements and wrapped their arms around his torso.

When his confusion finally passed and his senses caught up to him, he noticed the person beneath him was shaking and a faint salty smell was caught by his nose and the sound of crying rang in his ears.

He turned his gaze downward to see Hinata pressed against his body, sobbing into his chest. Her whole body quivered as she cried into him. Naruto was still in shock at the sudden and random act of the usually shy and timid Hyūga.

"N-Naruto-kun no more…p-please…no more…" Hinata pleaded to the taller boy. She was tired of seeing her friends fighting and wanted to put a stop to it. She didn't want anyone to get hurt anymore. She just did the first thing that came to mind and that was to embrace Naruto in hope of calming the boy down.

Naruto was taken aback. First there was the sudden contact, then she pleaded to him as she cried her heart out, and now there was this fluttery feeling in his chest. He couldn't explain it, only it was just so warm and…comforting. He never felt like this before; it was all too foreign to him, but he enjoyed it.

He was brought out of his thoughts when Hinata gripped him tighter and her sob's filled his ears once more. His caring nature took over as he hesitantly wrapped his arms around the smaller girl and pulled her closer. Hinata gasped when she felt him return her embrace, but her shock was quickly replaced with content as she relaxed against him. 'So warm…' Hinata sighed contently.

This was another feeling foreign to Naruto. He had received hugs before, but none like this. He felt so at peace as Hinata relaxed against him, like they were the only ones left in the world. No hateful villagers, no scornful parents, and no looming threat of danger on the horizon. For the first time in a long while, Naruto was actually somewhat happy.

Unfortunately, said happiness was shortly lived. He was too absorbed in his intimacy with Hinata to notice her cousin sneak up behind him. He did however feel the chop to the back of the neck that knocked him out. 'Damn it…I got careless…' were Naruto last thoughts before everything went black.

Hinata was so deeply enjoying the close contact with her lost love that she was caught off guard when she felt all his weight collapse on her. Both unceremoniously fell to the ground in a heap. Hinata blushed when she looked down to see Naruto resting peacefully on her chest. Se cast her gaze upwards to see her cousin standing over them on shaky knees and breathing heavily.

Neji was surprised, to say the least, at his younger cousin's intervention. It was totally…unorthodox and out of character coming from the shy girl, but it did give him the perfect chance to take down Naruto. Had she not distracted the blonde, he would've been overpowered in no time and Naruto would have escaped.

Neji was swaying as he tried to keep on his feet. He had used quite a bit of chakra in and that alongside all the blows he took and the soreness from blocking left him worn out. He stole one last glance down at his cousin, who was still holding the sleeping blonde closely. Seeing that he wasn't waking up anytime soon, and that the jōnin would take care of the situation, he left fatigue claim him and fell to the ground.

* * *

><p>Kurenai had watched the whole altercation from her position beside Chiyo. She too was surprised at her student's actions but it quickly wore off as she remembered how much she cared for her friends and a certain blonde-haired missing-nin.<p>

At the same time, Chiyo felt the body growing weaker and heavier as her jutsu neared completion. Thoughts of her brother, her son and his wife, and even her grandson filled her head. She had no regrets and would soon be leaving this world to join them in the next. Though she did feel bad about leaving her brother all alone. "Guess this time is for real," she said to herself as she thought about all the times she had played dead.

With mere seconds to live, she turned her final thoughts to Gaara. _'I'm so sorry for what I put you through. But now, I'm making amends and I hope you can find it in your heart to forgive me. Grow strong Gaara and lead our people well. Though he might not admit it, your father would be proud.'_ The blue aura around her hands faded as she fell backwards; the last traces of life leaving her body.

When Kurenai no longer felt the tug on her chakra, she turned back to see Chiyo collapsing only to be caught by Gai, who gave her a reassuring smile. She figured that the older woman must've just been tired from using her technique and the fight earlier that day and just needed rest. She stood up and almost lost her balance before quickly catching herself. _'Wow she took more chakra than I thought she did,'_ Kurenai thought to herself. Regaining her bearings, she took off towards the field where their fallen charges lay. She never caught the grim look on Gai's face when he finally felt how cold the woman in his arms was.

Hinata silently sat in the middle of the opening. She had readjusted herself and Naruto so that his head rested in her lap. She stared down at the boy beneath her as she hesitantly stroked his hair lovingly. He just looked so…peaceful as he slept. She had also used this time to look over his changes.

He was no longer the runt that was the same height as her. He had grown considerably and stood at least 5'6 while she herself was at 5'3. His blonde locks were still as bright as ever and from the small glimpses she caught, his eye still shone that heavenly shade of blue.

His whisker marks intrigued her. No one knew exactly where they came from but most figured it had something to do with the fox sealed within him. She lightly ran a finger across one, causing the sleeping blonde to flinch slightly before letting out a content sigh. She giggled. Who would've known his whiskers were so sensitive.

"That was quite a show there Hinata," a voice behind her said. Hinata stiffed and pulled Naruto closer to her and wrapped her arms around him protectively.

"Whoa easy there! Nothing's gonna happen," Kurenai said as she came into the younger girls view. Hinata relaxed when she saw it was only her sensei. Kurenai noticed the position her student and her crush were in and grinned.

"That's one mighty grip you have there Hinata. You afraid he's gonna disappear or something?" Kurenai teased. She smiled at how red in the red the young girl got.

Hinata was feeling completely embarrassed right now. Her face was beet red and her cheeks were on fire. She hadn't realized the awkward position she had put herself in. she just wanted to protect Naruto.

She actually did believe he would disappear any second, like this was all on big dream. She was really hoping it was real and just wanted to relish in the moment. She missed the loud ninja and didn't want to go back to a life without him. She loved him. But she was uncertain of his feelings toward her and it nearly crushed her when he said he didn't want to return to the village.

She couldn't blame him, with how he grew up and the way people treated him. But that's the past and things have changed now. He could return without prejudice.

Kurenai saw the look on the girls face and figured she was deep in thought. Probably thinking about the current situation with Naruto and what the future will bring. As Shinobi of Konoha, it was their duty to bring him back to the village since he was a missing-nin. If only it could've been on more peaceful terms…

"Hinata," Kurenai began, pulling the girl from her thoughts, "You care about him a lot don't you?" she asked. She was well aware of Hinata's deep affection for the boy. Hinata was hesitant to answer at first. She looked down at the sleeping figure in her lap and a slight smile made its way to her face.

"I do Kurenai-sensei. I want nothing more than for him to return home to the village," Hinata said, never lifting her gaze. Kurenai gave a soft smile. "But…" Her smile quickly faded.

"I also want him to be happy. He deserves it the most. Even if…even if that means never returning to Konoha again…" small tears began to streak down her face. Kurenai felt her heart drop. The boy had been adamant about not coming back. Now they were dragging him back against his will and there's telling what was bound to happen.

She wasn't particularly happy with it, but it was their job. He was a missing-nin and they have to capture him. She also didn't want to face the Hokage's wrath if she found out they ran into her favorite blonde charge and didn't make an attempt to bring him back. She actually sort of liked the boy. Even if he was loud, brash, hyperactive, and even annoying at times, he had a positive effect on her student. Because of him, Hinata had newfound confidence in herself and her abilities as a kunoichi. She was still the shy and timid type, but she's slowly beginning to break out of that shell, just like she is now.

Kurenai knelt down and placed a hand on Hinata's shoulder, bringing the girl's troubled gaze to meet her own comforting one. "Everything will be alright Hinata. Tsunade-sama will figure something out," Kurenai said with a reassuring smile. Hinata saw her sensei's smile and let one grace her own face as she looked back down at the sleeping figure beneath her and softly stroking his cheek. _'Maybe everything will be alright,'_ Hinata reassured herself.

* * *

><p>Well, that's chapter four. It feels redundant to ask, but that was only the second fight of many to come and I would like to know how I did. For anyone who didn't recognize it, <strong>Unrelenting Force<strong> is a shout from the game_**Elder Scrolls: Skyrim **_(which means i don't own it). And before anyone complains about Naruto being caught, in my defense, I DID ask for feedback and I didn't remotely here any objection until AFTER it was written. By then, I had already started the next chapter, soooo deal with it. Want to know if he escapes or stays? If so, I'll tell you. Next week when I upload chapter five. Also the pairing is Naruhina btw if you hadn't figured it out already. Once again, didn't here any objections til AFTER it was written. I might add another girl to the pairing, but i'm not sure yet, but the idea is rolling around in my head. Well that's it for this week. If anyone needs me, I'll be on Mass Effect taking down hordes of Reapers. Til next time - White Chidori ^_^

A/N: Alright after just a few hours I can tell people liked the chap all the way up to the point Naruto was captured and i said it was Naruhina. I have reasoning as to why it happened like that but that's saved for next week. So i'm giving everyone a choice. Since it's still early on in the story, i can edit some things around to not maake it Naruhina (but the Naruhina moment stays). I put up a poll on my page where you can vote yay or nay or on the pairing. If everyone is adamant about it not being Naruhina, then I'll go with my other pairing idea, but it won't happen for quite a awhile in the story and i'm not saying who it is. Poll will be up until I update next week.


	5. Return to the Leaf

Hits: 3960

Favorites: 58

Alerts: 49

Well I did some thinking, and decided not to do NaruHina, and not because of the poll result (and seeing is as how little people voted you really must not care). Its mainly because I couldn't find a reason for Hinata to leave the village to join Naruto (that wasn't too cliche) and I kinda like my other pairing idea better anyway. And everyone who rudely told me that I ruined my story can all kiss my asss. ^_^

My story, my ideas, my choice. If you don't agree, the back button is in the top left corner.

That said, I still could you a couple small ideas (That don't affect the major storyline). A big one is to whether or not to do a pairing for Sasuke or not, and if so, who? I couldn't really decide and i kinda don't care that much so I thought I'd leave it up to you guys. But you have to let me know soon before I get too far in the story and it becomes undoable.

I feel like Shikamaru right now posting this chap. It's too troubblesome to right anything else so here's chapter 5.

* * *

><p>Chapter V: Return to the Leaf<p>

Shortly after Naruto's little showdown with his peers, the field was filled with a massive force of Suna-nin sent as a search-and-rescue party. They arrived just in time to witness the Kazekage waking up. They all let out cheers of excitement when they saw that their leader was safe. Temari nearly choked the poor boy when she embraced him. Gaara, on the other hand, was confused as to where he was and what exactly was happening. The last thing he remembered was being in a dark cave and having chakra painfully ripped from his body.

It was then Gai explained how Chiyo they tracked down the Akatsuki to their lair in the Land of Rivers, they split up after one made off with Gaara's body. After they disposed of Sasori, they found Kiba, Kakashi, and most surprisingly Naruto. While Neji, Lee, Tenten and Kiba fought with Kiba after he refused to return peacefully, Chiyo-baasama used a mysterious technique she called _**One's Own Life Reincarnation Jutsu **_on Gaara to bring him back to life before falling asleep. Kankurō recognized the jutsu almost immediately.

"That's jutsu…it's a forbidden technique!"

"What are you talking about Kankurō?" Temari asked.

"It's a technique was developed by Chiyo-baasama herself. It's designed to give life to puppets to greatly increase their combat efficiency but at the cost of the user's life. I didn't know it could bring someone back from the dead," Kankurō explained.

"Wait, you mean Chiyo-baasama is…" Temari said leaving the question open as her gaze shifted from her brother to the small elderly woman in Gai's arms. Gai just dropped his head and her question was never given a response. Everyone knew the answer just by looking at her stiff, unmoving figure. Gaara finally stood up and addressed his legion of charges.

"A moment of silence for Chiyo-sama." Almost immediately, everyone in attendance hung their head in respect for the old woman. She had given them back their leader and they would forever be grateful. After paying his respects, Gaara raised his head and shifted his gaze across the field toward the sitting figure of Hinata and the blonde boy sleeping away with his head in her lap.

"Is that really Naruto?" he asked aloud.

"As unbelievable as it is, yes that's him," Kakashi answered from his position next to Gai. Gaara nodded and survey the bruised bodies of the four leaf-nin resting before him. "And he took them all down by himself?" Gaara asked disbelievingly.

"More like he wasn't even trying. He was obviously holding back until thee end and there's no telling how strong he is now. From what I've seen so far, his agility is amazing and he's nothing short of a master with that sword of his. Hell, the only reason he was beaten was because of Hinata's sudden display of affection, which caught him off-guard and gave Neji enough time to take him down," Kakashi explained.

Gaara raised a nonexistent eyebrow at the part about a 'sudden display of affection' but nodded in understanding. "What do you plan on doing with him?" he asked.

"Well first, we were hoping to stay in Suna for a few days to recuperate. Were still pretty exhausted from taking on the Akatsuki and Naruto really did a number on those four. After that we'll return to Konoha and take Naruto back with us."

Gaara just stared at the silver-haired jōnin, not giving a response. This made Kakashi stir uncomfortably. Gaara's indifferent mask made him hard to read. After a few moments, Gaara raised an arm and a few ninja appeared at his side.

"Yes Kazekage-sama?" on asked.

"Gather up our Leaf allies and help them back to Suna. Set them up in a hotel as well," Gaara ordered. A collective 'Yes sir!' was heard and they scattered to follow their leader's orders. They quickly collected up the four downed leaf-nin but had problems retrieving the last.

Hinata was apprehensive about giving up Naruto. She just didn't trust them with him being a missing-nin and all, and for all she knew, they might try to capitalize on his bounty. At least if he came back with them, he'd be returning with friends, albeit forcibly. She gripped Naruto a little tighter but then Kurenai gave her a reassuring smile. "It's ok Hinata, they're friends." Reluctantly, the bluenette released her grip on the blonde and he was whisked away with the rest of her friends. She really didn't want to leave his side, in fear that he would up and disappear again. So instead, she opted to traveling beside him.

Within a few minutes, the Kazekage and his rather large entourage departed from the Land of River and made their way to the humble dwelling in the middle of the desert that they call home.

* * *

><p>Naruto was groggily brought back to the world of the living by a rough jerk of his body. The last thing he remembered was standing at the gates of Suna, bound in chains and covered in chakra suppressing seals, before everything went black…again.<p>

Ever since he had awoken in Suna the first time, he was constantly being knocked back out, which pissed him off greatly. Every time he awoke, just after he gathered his senses, it was lights out again. He didn't have time to come up with an escape plan, he was starving, and he was pretty certain it wasn't healthy for a person to be slipping in and out of consciousness on a regular basis like that. In fact, the longest he had ever been awake was when he had a private conversation with Gaara sometime before they left. He'd been out so long weeks could've passed by for all he knew.

Being smart about the situation, he decided to not alert his captors to his awakened state. The last thing he needed right now was another nap. Through half-lidded eyes, he tried to make out his surroundings. He was looking straight down at a pair of bright green legs, each clad in striped orange leg warmers. He figured that he was being carried, most likely slung over the person's shoulder. Judging from the height, green clothing, and orange leg warmers, it had to be Gai.

Directly in front of him he heard the distinct voices of Lee and Tenten deep in conversation.

"This sword is amazing. Simple, yet beautiful at the same time!" Tenten said as she admired Naruto's chokutō.

"It is a most youthful weapon!" Lee said from beside her.

They were walking at a moderate pace directly behind Gai. Tenten ogled Naruto's blade while Lee walked alongside her holding its sheathe.

"You know, I just might hold on to this," Tenten said as she ran her finger along the length of the sword's broad side.

"Tenten, stealing is most unyouthful! This sword belongs to Naruto-kun and I don't think he would be happy about you taking his weapon. Besides, you have plenty of swords," Lee said to the brunette kunoichi.

"Well tough cookies! He should have thought about that before he broke my kusari-gama! I think of this as…compensation. Besides, there's just something different about this one,"

Lee was right about one thing: Naruto was not happy. In fact, he was livid. The mere idea of someone he didn't trust touching his sword at any place other than the business end in live combat annoyed him. But this girl was not only manhandling his precious weapon, she even went as far as to claim that she was keeping it as her own. The sheer blasphemy that came from her mouth was enough to make his blood boil.

Tenten was bust going over the craftsmanship of the sword in her hands when a wave of killer intent washed over her. She immediately looked ahead of her to where it originated, expecting to see an enemy poised to strike. Instead, she only met a pair of fiery blue red eyes glaring at her. She flinched at first but then recognized their owner to be the blonde slung over her sensei's shoulder. A smirk quickly found its way to her face.

"Well, well, well, look who finally woke up," Tenten said loud enough to get everyone's attention. Neji and Lee both snapped their gazes towards their sensei ahead of them and saw that Naruto was indeed awake.

"Damn, we still got quite some way till we get to Konoha. Oh well, guess it's lights out again for you," Kiba said as he raised his hand to bring it down upon the blonde's neck. Naruto mentally berated himself for getting caught. He let his anger get to him and he was about to be rewarded with another long nap. Just as Kiba's hand came close to his neck, a voice behind Naruto stopped the movement.

"Kiba, enough! He's been out long enough; give him some time to breathe. Knocking people out like that all the time isn't good for their health. Bringing back a long-lost friend won't do any good if you give him health problems in the process. I don't need to explain what Tsunade-sama will do if she finds out you're the responsible for any defects Naruto might develop because of your actions, do I?" Kurenai scolded him.

Kiba did the math in his head:

Pissed-off Tsunade + super strength + extraordinary medical skills = never-ending beat down.

She could destroy his body him body beyond recognition and then put him back together just to do it all over again. This could go for as long as she wanted, or at least until her chakra ran out. He _definitely_ didn't want that problem.

This is one of those times he was jealous of Naruto's closeness with the Hokage. She obviously favored the boy and cared for him greatly. It was evident when people caught her weeping after his disappearance when she thought no one was looking. But Kiba figure that if he couldn't knock him out, he would at least toy with Naruto. After all, he was powerless to stop him.

"Hmph, guess you're not so big and bad Mr. 'I'm too good for Konoha'?" Kiba teased. He didn't receive a response, or even acknowledgement that he was speaking. Naruto's disinterested mask had returned to his face and it didn't look like he was giving Kiba the time of day. This irked Kiba but he decided to press on.

"Wow Naruto, I never thought of you as the brooding type. But I guess I would be too after I just got my ass handed to me by peers. Guess you're not really as strong as you thought you were. It's just like I said, we'd bring you back to Konoha by force if we had to. Now look at you. That's ok though, maybe one day you'll be an elite ninja like me," Kiba said smirking with pride.

He looked at Naruto and saw that his expression had changed. He had a deadpanned look plastered on his face and he was giving Kiba a blank stare.

"If you're elite in Konoha, then I fear for the future of the village. Kiba you're about as elite as a blade of grass. All bark, and no bite. If I hadn't held back, I would've just killed you instead of tossing your pansy ass aside like a ragdoll," Naruto said.

Kiba was red in the face with anger and he had no retorts. Unfortunately, there was some truth to his words, even if he didn't want to admit it. Naruto heard Tenten giggling in the background and shifted his attention to her.

"What are you laughing at Plain-Jane? You're no better than he was. You lost your temper and just rushed in with blinded fury. I could've cut you down eighteen different times. But I didn't because I don't like hitting girls, let alone killing them, and plus, I'm a nice guy like that," he berated the other brunette.

Lee had to hold back the seething kunoichi who was trying to lop off the blonde's head with his own sword. Naruto smirked. "Just like you are now," he said.

"And while I'm on the subject," he began, "I'll just go ahead and say it: you guys are inferior to me." He saw them flinched at his remark and decided to continue before they bombarded him with obscenities. "Kiba, you're arrogant and overconfident in your abilities, which will get you killed one day. Tenten, you're a hothead and losing control like that will also get you killed. Lee, you would be an even better ninja if you knew some ninjutsu, which also happens to be your weakness. And last but not least, you Neji are at least a worthy opponent. That calculating mind and that damnable Gentle Fist of yours are rather annoying to face. Unfortunately, I just outclass you." As much as either wanted to object, they couldn't. What he said was true. It was like being criticized by your sensei, only he was being a dick about it. A smirk returned to Naruto's face. "And by the way Kiba, the only reason I lost is because of Hinata. If she hadn't snuck up on me like that and distracted me, I would probably be miles away by now."

None of them caught the look of the cherry-faced bluenette walking ahead of them. Kiba was livid right now. Who the hell is this guy to come in berating them and act so high and mighty? Kakashi saw the unspoken question on Kiba's face and decided to speak up before the younger ninja did something stupid and attack the helpless blonde.

"Naruto, what's become of you? You were never arrogant like this," Kakashi said.

"I'm not being arrogant _Kakashi_, I'm being truthful. I've trained rigorously with a Sannin for the last three years. I never I was all powerful, but _they_ aren't good enough to beat me ," Naruto said, his impassive masked returning to his face.

Kakashi flinched when he heard his name said with such malice. This truly wasn't the same happy-go-lucky charge he trained years ago. But then something clicked in his mind. Trained with a Sannin? Tsunade was busy being Hokage and Jiraiya has been searching for him.

"What do mean you've trained with a Sannin for three years? You can't mean…"

"Orochimaru" Naruto finished for him.

Kakashi was at a loss for words. "Naruto, how could you? He's one of Konoha's greatest enemies!" Naruto just remained silent and stared at the ground. Kakashi wasn't happy with not getting a response.

"Answer me!" he uncharacteristically yelled. Naruto raised his head, with that same annoying uncaring expression, to meet his gaze. "Don't feel like it," he said and went back to counting footprints left behind by Gai.

The usually cool and laid back silver-haired jōnin was losing his patience. "Naruto, you will answer or-"

"Or what?" Naruto interrupted. Kakashi stood there with his jaw hanging. He didn't have an answer. He was kinda just hoping he could win on intimidation, which clearly wasn't working out.

"Exactly. You leaf-nin are all the same," Naruto said.

"You're a leaf-nin too Naruto!" Kiba yelled. He was fed up with the blonde's smug attitude.

"_Was_!" I _was_ a leaf-nin. You guys branded me as a missing-nin remember? Look, just get me to Konoha. The faster we get this over with, the faster I can go home," Naruto said in an annoyed tone.

"Home? You think we're just gonna let you run back to that snake bastard? Heh, you'll be lucky if Tsunade-sama ever lets you see the light of day again," Tenten smirked before going back to fondling Naruto's sword. Naruto ignored her and just kept his head down.

'_We'll see about that,'_ Naruto thought as he began plotting his escape.

* * *

><p>Finally, after three long days of traveling, the gates of Konoha were finally in sight. The trip was long and tiresome but their mission was a success. They even caught someone precious who had been missing for three years. Granted, after the events from a few days prior, not everyone was happy to see him.<p>

One thing Naruto was grateful for was that they were actually feeding him now. Turns out they forgot he was human and needed to eat like the rest of them. Unfortunately it took for him to be knocking on death's door from starvation for them to figure it out. Naruto was certain that it was a new method of torture engineered by Ibiki. That man truly was dastardly.

Another thing he was grateful for was that they let him walk on his own again. His legs had fallen asleep from being hoisted over Gai's shoulder at the waist for hours. Things got a little awkward when Naruto got a full bladder and couldn't stand own his own feet. Kiba had been elected for the job, much to his displeasure, and came back red-faced and muttering about unfair gods and blessed men.

Now they were all tiredly trudging down the dirt road that lead back to Konohagakure.

"Yosh! We have finally made it home!" Lee yelled excitedly as they approached the village's massive wooden gates, constructed by the First Hokage himself.

"Calm down Lee, it's not that exciting. It's the same, regular, boring old village that it was two weeks ago," Kiba said trying to get the eccentric boy to calm down.

"But Kiba, we finally found Naruto-kun. I'm just happy that he's finally returning home after so long. Everyone will be so happy!" Lee proclaimed, fist shaking.

"Heh, wouldn't be too sure about that," Tenten silently huffed as she sent a glare in the blonde's direction.

Naruto was too busy trying to escape to care. But as he was plotting, something occurred to him: This was bound to happen. Someday, he was eventually going to run into his old friends and he'd have to confront them. Just cause it was going to happen, doesn't mean that he was going to enjoy it.

So his current plan was to get to the village, talk with the old hag, and swiftly escape and return home. Of course he was just gonna fly by the seat of his pants, but seeing as this whole situation was unexpected, it only seemed right. Unfortunately his partner-in-crime was still nowhere to be found and this makes his escape even harder. He just kept plotting as he and his entourage casually slipped through customs and made their way to the Hokage's office.

* * *

><p>Tsunade was a nervous wreck right now. She had just received word from the main gate that the group from Suna had just arrived and had a certain missing-nin with them. She hadn't believed it when Kakashi had sent her word from Suna a few days ago but here he was, back in the village, on his way to her office right now. Allegedly.<p>

The whole thing just seemed all too real. First, Naruto just up and disappeared for the years and Kakashi not only happens to stumble upon him on a mission, but also manages to capture him. Finally, after three long, quiet years, the loud, knuckle-headed, hyperactive brat was back.

Just the thought of Naruto being safe and alive was enough to bring a smile to her face. She was so giddy with excitement that she almost didn't hear Shizune practically screaming at her.

"Tsunade-sama!" Shizune screamed for like the third time.

"Huh? What?" Tsunade responded dumbly.

"Is it true? Is he really…" Shizune asked.

Tsunade smiled. If only the little brat actually knew just how many people cared for him. "Shizune, go fetch Team 10 and Sakura. It's time for a long awaited homecoming," Tsunade ordered and Shizune was more than happy to oblige.

* * *

><p>Deep within the confines of the village rested Konoha's prestige hot springs. It was midday and a number of women were taking this time to relax and enjoy themselves. Today was especially a good day since the World's biggest pervert wasn't in the village at the time which meant they would be able to bathe in peace without having to worry about being spied on.<p>

If only they knew how wrong they were. Camped up in a tree sitting just outside the wall of the women's bath was the white-haired devil himself, equipped with a telescope and notepad.

Jiraiya giggled perversely as he scribbled away on his tiny pad, taking very descriptive notes on the scene of younger women bouncing around and splashing water on each other. He didn't even care that he might die from the waterfall of blood that gushed from his nose. After all, what are blood transfusions for?

Jiraiya heard tons of murmurs and looked up from his telescope toward a large crowd gathering around the perimeter of the main road. Curious as to what all the ruckus was about, he directed his instrument toward the mass of people and froze.

He saw what, or more like who, the people were gaping at. Walking down the middle of the road, huddled in a group of ninjas lead by Kakashi, was none other than his long lost student. He tried lying to himself, saying that it was some random captive who just happened to have blonde hair, but the sapphire eyes and distinct whisker marks on his cheeks proved that it was indeed Naruto.

Jiraiya sat there staring in disbelief. He was too shocked to care that his telescope slipped from his grasp and fell to the ground below. "Can it be true? After all this time has Naruto finally returned?" Jiraiya spoke aloud. He shot to his feet and rushed off in the direction of the Academy. 'Tsunade must know something about this,' Jiraiya thought as he bounded across the village rooftops.

* * *

><p>Kakashi was not comfortable with the current situation. He was trying to escort Naruto to the Hokage as casually and discreetly as possible, but judging from the amount of people watching, his plan failed miserably. As they walked down the streak, everyone, and I mean EVERYONE, stopped what they were doing to stare at the as they passed by. Conversations between jovial adults died down and children about silenced their play and laughter.<p>

It didn't take long for whispers to arise from the gathering crowd. They had formed a circle around Naruto just in case anyone still had any lingering grudges against the boy and decided to make an attempt on his life. Thankfully, no did. They just moved to the side of the road to clear the path and whispered among themselves.

In fact, the only trouble, if you can call it that, they had was when Naruto abruptly stopped and looked toward the sky. He stared upwards like he was searching for something but a quick shove from Kiba got him moving again. Kakashi let out a tired sigh as they continued their way towards the Hokage's office. He really hoped everything went smoothly so he could get a moment's rest.

Unbeknownst to his captors, Naruto had an escape plan all figured out. He had sensed Latios just moments ago but warned him to stay away. Naruto really didn't want to lay waste to Konoha if they hurt his dragon but that's exactly what he'd do if they ever did. Instead, Latios would hover in the skies above the village and wait for his signal.

He had to get this over with. The faster he put this behind him, the better. All that was left to do was to mentally prepare himself for the barrage of pleas begging him to stay, which definitely wasn't happening. Konoha had their chance with. Twelve long years they had him and fucked up every last one of them. From now own, he looked out for himself now.

After a strange and unexpected turn of events, he now had Sasuke, Kabuto, Orochimaru and a Latios by his side. His small entourage was all he need. Of course, there was _her _too. Even though she greatly annoyed him to high Heaven when they first met, she had she undoubtedly become an important person in his life, if not the most. He'd do anything (or at least damn well try) to keep her happy.

But then there was that thing with Hinata…no. He couldn't. He had had to cut all ties with the leaf, friends included, even if that meant sacrificing a potential chance at happiness. Those feelings from earlier were a lapse on his part and the whole hug ordeal left him confused. He wasn't used to being in such close contact with the opposite sex and didn't know how to react. After all, all his previous encounters left him with battered and bruised.

Shaking those thoughts from his head, Naruto took in greater detail of his surrounding and saw that they were arriving at the Academy building, and his destination, the Hokage's office, resided within.

Naruto paid no attention to the looks cast his direction as he was led through the administrative section of the Academy. He just wanted to get this over with and get home as soon as possible. His wish was about to come true as he noticed they stopped in front of an ever so familiar oak door. The moment of truth was finally here. Kakashi turned to face the group to make sure everyone was ready. After getting an affirmative nod from everyone, Kakashi turned back to the door and took a deep breath. Exhaling calmly, he slowly opened the door before him and stepped into the office of the Hokage.

* * *

><p>Sakura was waiting idly in Tsunade's office. When she had arrived, she noticed that Ino, Shikamaru, Chōji, and their sensei Asuma was there as well. She asked her sensei why she had been called and had only been told, "For a long-awaited homecoming."<p>

She knew about how Kakashi ,Team 8, and Gai's team set out for a mission in Suna nearly two weeks ago and figured that they were who she was referring to. But why would their homecoming be 'long-awaited'? Ninja tend to leave for mission for months at a time but never received a 'homecoming' from the Hokage herself. Maybe it was a really important mission.

She couldn't come with any viable clues. She took this time to analyze the rooms other occupants. Shizune stood next to Tsunade's desk and looked like she was about to explode from happiness any minute now. Tsunade was sitting calmly at her desk wearing a smile, something she wasn't seen too often doing. Team 10 were going through their usual antics: Chōji munching on chips, Shikamaru lazily gazing at the clouds while trying to tone out Ino, who was berating him on being so lethargic. And of course Asuma just silently puffed away on a cigarette.

Sakura had been here for almost ten minutes now and was just fed up with waiting. "Tsunade-sama, how much longer will this take? I wasn't finished training," Sakura asked. Naruto and Sasuke weren't going to save themselves after all.

Tsunade looked up from her thoughts at hearing her name and saw her student standing before her. "Not much longer Sakura, they should be here any minute now. And you shouldn't push yourself so much with training or else you'll end up doing more harm than good." She answered.

"But I have to get stronger Tsunade-sama! I have to save them…" Sakura said glumly. Tsunade had been worried a about her apprentice. She spent unhealthy amounts of hours of training, all for the sake of saving her lost teammates. Hopefully, after today, all of that would change.

"Sakura just trust me. After today, give or take three or four days, everything will be fine and hopefully back to normal," Tsunade said softly with a smile. Sakura was confused and wanted to question what she meant by that but never got the chance as she heard the sound of a knob turning and the office door opening.

She watched as Kakashi, Team 8, and Team Gai filed into the room. They all looked tired and worn out, most likely from the long journey. But there was another person amongst them. He was rather tall and wore black clothing a large red coat was wrapped around his lower body and was held in place by an orange rope-like belt. His head was covered in a mop of spiky blonde hair.

After further analysis of his looks, she saw his ocean blue eye and the three whisker-like marks on his cheeks. That's when something in her mind clicked. Only one person in the whole world fit that description. Sakura stiffened and her mouth hung as she gaped at the boy before her.

* * *

><p>Tsunade sat quietly with her chin resting on her intertwined hands as she 'listened intently' to Kakashi's mission report. Truthfully, she didn't give a damn what happened just as long as the mission was a success and everyone returned home safely and unharmed. She just wanted to here exactly how they ran into Naruto and managed to capture him. She was happy to see that he was alive and appeared to be in good health. She decided to tune back in to Kakashi before Shizune caught on to her.<p>

"…at's when Naruto intervened and saved both Kiba and I. Everyone else arrived a few minutes later and after Naruto stated that he would not return to the village, Kiba, Tenten, Lee, and Neji engaged him in battle. Naruto overpowered them and nearly escaped until Hinata immobilized him and Neji knocked him out. We stayed in Suna for a week to recuperate before setting out for Konoha," Kakashi finished. He had a strange feeling that she hadn't been listening the entire time.

Tsunade glanced over the group that had just arrived in her office. The four previously mentioned had downcast looks on their faces while Hinata was slightly pink. Kurenai and amazingly, Gai stood in silence. And finally, there was Naruto.

His gaze was locked on some unknown spot in front of her desk and his face was expressionless. She didn't believe that he had been able to make short work of four promising shinobi, but when she factored in that he was the most unpredictable ninja she'd ever met and the strange aura of power that he radiated, it seemed possible.

Tsunade had pondered this moment many times in the past: what she would say when she finally saw him again. Unfortunately, this wasn't one of the circumstances she had predicted. He was in front of her, bound and chained, and it was obvious from the distant look on his face that he didn't want to be there.

Her heart nearly broke at hearing that he never wanted to return to the village. she didn't want to believe it but she would find out for herself here and now.

Naruto stood quietly in the middle of the large office, which seemed a lot smaller with the large number of people there. He honed in on a weird pattern at the base of Tsunade's wooden desk. Even though he couldn't see them, he could feel the stares that fell on him. The last one he had seen was Sakura's look of total shock and disbelief.

He continued to stand silently, eyes still locked on that swirl pattern in the wood, as Kakashi gave his report. It was only a matter of time till he was addressed. He just had to get this quick chat over with, get his sword back from Tenten, outrun the entire village's shinobi force, and escape the village with Latios. Easy enough right?

"Naruto…"

Naruto looked up at hearing his name and was face to face with the Hokage. Her pleading honey orbs locked with his impassive cerulean ones. "My, you've gone and gotten tall on me," Tsunade smiled, just noticing that he had few inches on her. She was trying to break the ice seeing they hadn't spoken in years.

"Amazing right? Who would've thought it possible, especially after all those years starving stunting my growth," Naruto said sarcastically, the slightest hint of venom hidden in his voice. The tension in the room grew slightly.

It nearly pained Tsunade hear this but she decided to brush it off. She wouldn't lose her resolve. "So tell me Naruto, how have you been all these years?" she asked.

"Alive," Naruto replied flatly.

Tsunade sighed. He sure was making it difficult to keep up a civil conversation. "Can you at least tell me where you've been all this time? What happened three years ago?" she asked.

Her question was never graced with an answer. Tsunade was beginning to lose patience with the boy. She was about to ask another question but Kakashi spoke first.

"Forgive me for interrupting Hokage-sama, but I reason to believe that Naruto, along with Sasuke, has been with Orochimaru. It would seem that he has been trained by him as well," the Cyclops jōnin interjected. Tsunade turned back to Naruto with a look of horror on her face.

"Naruto…is that true?" she asked disbelievingly. And annoyed sigh escaped the younger blonde. Thanks to Kakashi snitching on him, he'd have to tell the story of his disappearance.

"So what if it is? Why does it matter to you anyway?" Naruto responded.

"Naruto, of all people why him? Why'd you run away?" Tsunade nearly yelled.

"I didn't run away and I didn't go to him by choice!" Naruto said sharply, making her flinch at the tone of his voice. The rest of the room was silent as they listened to the two blondes converse.

"What do you mean?" Tsunade queried.

"After Sasuke and I fought at the Valley of the End, I was left unconscious. Sasuke took it upon himself to carry me with him to Orochimaru. I awoke later bound to a bed and was told I couldn't leave,"

A spark of hope welled up in Tsunade. This proved that he didn't leave willingly. There was still a chance for him! "But you're here now. You can return to the village and I can have you reinstated and-"

"Not happening," Naruto interrupted.

"What are you talking about Naruto?" Tsunade asked. She really hoped Kakashi was lying about what he said earlier.

"I'm not staying in Konoha. They're the reason I led a troubled life. Why would I return to the place that ostracized me as a child for something beyond my control? They even tried to kill me. They wanted me gone so that's exactly what I'm going to do: disappear."

"But's it's not like that anymore Naruto! Your father-"

"Was the Fourth right?" Naruto interrupted her again. Tsunade was shocked. How did he know about his heritage? Naruto decided to continue, seeing Tsunade was a a loss for words.

"You know I didn't believe it when Kiba told me but seeing the look on you face must mean it's true. If that's the case, I'm definitely not returning. I don't what people suddenly kissing my ass just because of who my father was and he can burn in hell for all I care. If it wasn't for him, this would've never happened in the first place."

As soon as Naruto finished, the sound of a smack echoed around the room. Everyone turned to see a teary-eyed Sakura and Naruto with a red cheek. "Why…why are you being like this? You're not the same Naruto as before. What's happened to you? Answer me!" Sakura pleaded.

Naruto just looked down at her. He had lasted a lot longer before snapping than he originally thought. "Same old Sakura, hit first, ask questions later," Naruto said looking down at the pinkette.

"You know, you're right. I'm not the same Naruto as before. The old me used to follow you around like a lost puppy, begging for even the slightest hint of acknowledgement from you. He would've gone through hell and high water, probably even given his life for you. And you know what he got in return?" Naruto asked. Seeing her face tear up again instead of responding, Naruto decided to continue.

"He got your hated. Your absolute scorn Sakura. Whether it was a smack for being dimwitted or a total beat down as an outlet for your anger. But no matter how much you vilified him, he kept coming back for more. Well guess what? That Naruto died long ago when he became a missing-nin," Naruto said harshly.

He didn't show the slightest bit of remorse, even as tears streaked down her face. "Naruto…I'm sorry," Sakura said weakly.

"Save it," Naruto said sharply. "I don't want your apologies." Naruto noticed the position of the sun outside the window. If he was right, it was around 2 p.m. and if he left now, he would be able to make it back to the sound by late evening.

"So you're not going to stay Naruto?" Tsunade asked in her Hokage voice. If he was adamant in his stature then she would have to throw him in jail. He had already been gone for such a long time and it would pain her to lock him away as soon as he returned. She really hoped it wouldn't come to that.

"I've spent too much time here as it is. Time for me to go," Naruto said flatly. Tsunade raised an eyebrow. Even if he had gotten stronger, there was no way in hell he could best herself, four jōnin, ten chūnin, outrun every shinobi in the village, escape AND have the energy to make it back to Orochimaru. Unpredictable as he is, it still just wasn't possible. That was a bet she'd be more than willing to make.

Just as Tsunade was about to respond, Naruto let out a sharp, high-pitched whistle. Everyone immediately became defensive and turned to the captive blonde, waiting for him to act. But he never did. Instead, there was a bright flash outside that flooded the entire room with light right before the windows exploded.

* * *

><p>The explosion sent everyone in a 100 meter radius into a frenzy. ANBU immediately swarmed the rubble of their leader's office to find her and the other occupant banged up, but otherwise alright.<p>

Tsunade pushed some debris aside and coughed as she stood back on her feet. That explosion had caught everyone, including herself off-guard and it left her ears ringing. She didn't know what caused it but whatever it was, it sure was powerful. The thought of Naruto wielding such a power sent chills up her spine. After a few moments, the ringing in her ears subsided and she was able to focus.

She was happy to see that everyone else was safe and sound but realized they were short one person. She whirled around and snapped her gaze to the nearest ANBU she could find. "Naruto has escaped! I want the entire village and the surrounding woods thoroughly search from top to bottom! Do not let him escape!" Tsunade barked out the orders.

"Yes mam!" the ANBU saluted before disappearing from sight. Hearing a couple moans and groans behind her, Tsunade cursed her luck once again before going to heal any bumps and bruises anyone sustained.

* * *

><p>Well there's Chapter 5. Sure wonder who that mysterious girl is...anyway i'm too lazy to write anything else so, everybody please R+R and let me know what you think. If you're gonna be a dick about it then don't bother. Till next time - White Chidori ^_^<p> 


	6. Another Mission

Hits: 4,953

Favorites: 77

Alerts: 63

Yosh! Chidori here with another chapter whoop!

I realized that I'm usually updating on Fridays instead of Saturdays like i said I would so just look for me on Fridays now.

This time around I'm introducing another major character. I GUARANTEE no knows who _she_ is and when you find out, I'm telling you now I'm NOT changing it. After i wrote it out, I couldn't bring myself to change it. Plus, I think you guys will like it. (If not, there is a back button).

And for those who asked, Naruto DID get his sword back from Tenten. He swiped it before he escaped, I just didn't write it in.

Last few things, NO Naruto will not be a heartless, cold bastard and NO he and Sasuke won't have god-like strength...yet. Saving that for the the final battle ;) Also, Sasuke won't be an asshole like he is in canon.

Can't think of anything else sooooooo...Here's...

* * *

><p>Chapter VI: Another Mission<p>

A lone figure sat atop a large cliff, his legs draped over the edge. He was high up in the mountains watching the sun set upon the landscape. It wouldn't be long before night claimed the land.

It had been nearly two weeks since Naruto left and Sasuke found it odd that he hadn't returned yet. Orochimaru had gotten word from their spy in Suna that Naruto had been captured by Konoha and was being taken back to the village.

Sasuke wasn't buying it. There's no way in hell his friend could've been captured by the likes of Konoha. And even if they had, there was that troublesome dragon of his that they'd have to deal with. They must've had some sort of collateral on him, something that he absolutely wouldn't be able to refuse, only he couldn't think of anything.

Nevertheless, whatever it was, Naruto would take care of it quickly and return soon enough. There's no way he wouldn't, especially with _her _still here.

Sasuke stood up and brushed himself off. Tomorrow, he was going to set out and see what exactly happened to Naruto. Even if he didn't show it, he was worried about his friend. Hell, they were practically brothers. After taking care of his brother, he planned to roam the world with Naruto until they found a place to settle down.

He would rebuild the Uchiha from the ground up and keep really close ties with Naruto's, possibly even merge. Of course, he would need Naruto for that, which required him to come back. But that was far ahead in the future. First, he had to deal with his traitorous brother.

So that's why he would go out looking for the blonde. He hadn't really been outside the base much, at least not more than a three mile radius, and he could use the fresh air. It would also give him a moment of peace from _her_.

Casting one last glance at the setting sun, Sasuke turned back and walked towards the roof entrance. He was nearly at the trap door when he suddenly stopped. He sensed something behind him moving at high velocity. He knew of only one thing that moved that fast.

He turned around just in time to see Latios swooping down to the roof and Naruto leaping off his back as he came to a stop. Both showed signs of fatigue, especially Latios, but they hid it well as they made their way across the roof towards him. Well, at least now he didn't have to go on a manhunt for the boy.

"Oh, hey Sasuke," Naruto said casually coming to a stop in front of the raven-haired boy. Sasuke was confused as to why he was acting like nothing ever happened.

"And just where the hell were you?" Sasuke raised an eyebrow. He was interested in hearing the blonde's response.

Naruto scratched his chin, assuming the thinking pose, before shrugging his shoulders. "Nowhere really, just got lost on the road of life," Naruto answered, ignoring the snort from Latios. "Why, did you miss me?" he asked smugly.

"Hardly," Sasuke answered disgusted. A smirk then appeared on his face. "Lost on the road of life huh? You sure you weren't captured by Leaf-nin and drug back to Konoha?"

He enjoyed the look of shock on his friend's face before it was quickly replaced an impassive one. "I have no idea what you're talking about," Naruto said in complete denial. Latios snorted and gave him a small head-butt to which Naruto shot him a glare.

"Save it Naruto. We already got word from Suna spies about how you showed up in the middle of the Kazekage rescue mission but were taking captive. What happened?" Sasuke asked in all seriousness.

Naruto sighed at being found out. He shot Latios another glare for dry snitching on him before he answered. "Well everything was going fine up until the point when-"

"BIG BROTHER!"

Naruto's eyes widened. He didn't even have time to react before a black and yellow blur slammed into him. The force was nearly enough to knock all the air out of his lungs. Naruto grunted as he landed on his back with a new weight on his chest. He really wished she would to that. He looked down to see a mop of blonde hair snuggling against him.

"You're finally back big brother! I missed you!" The little girl on his chest said. She let out a small yelp as the Naruto underneath her burst in a white cloud of smoke and she fell to the pavement.

"Owwie," she said sitting upright and looked up to see the real Naruto towering above her. "Tsuki-chan, how many times do I have to tell you not to do that?" That was the exact reason he sent a shadow clone in first.

"No fair! You can't use a shadow clone!" Tsuki whined from the ground. She stood up dusting herself. Naruto noticed that she had grown some, making her now somewhere around 3'11.

She wore a black short-sleeved shirt, pants, and sandals. Strapped on her back was a blue kodachi that was fashioned like a smaller version of Naruto's sword. Her short blond hair framed her face and stopped just short of her shoulder. She wore a blackhead band much like Naruto had seen Sakura did when he was in Konoha.

Three years ago, not too long after Naruto and Sasuke began their training, Tsuki was brought in by some sound-nin as the only survivor of her clan's massacre. She only four at the time and Orochimaru took interest in her unique bloodline. She had the telekinetic powers as well the ability to turn invisible.

When they first met, she thought Naruto was her long-lost brother and refused to believe otherwise. He tried time after time to explain that he wasn't her brother. It didn't help that they had the same shade of sunny blonde hair and they both were able to wield wind chakra. The only difference between them was his ocean blue eyes and her forest green ones.

So Tsuki shadowed Naruto just like any other younger sibling would, much to his displeasure. Naruto found her annoying at first. She followed his damn near every move, asked him a billion and one questions, most of which he didn't know the answer to, and she would always mess with stuff, which usually led to him getting hurt one way or another.

But over time, she grew on him. The idolized him and hung on his every word. This reminded Naruto a lot of his relationship with Konohamaru, only now he couldn't teach her a new jutsu and she would leave him be. She was always around him because she believed with all of her soul and being that they were siblings.

After a while, Naruto began to see things that way too. It wasn't too hard to believe considering she was just like his younger self in many ways. She was rather loud at times, hyperactive, and care-free of the world around her. She also had a knack for being somewhat of a prankster at times with her main target being Sasuke most of the time.

Unfortunately, she also had his old habits of being headstrong and utterly brash. She wouldn't take lip from anyone, no matter how much stronger or bigger than her they were. The only person this didn't apply to was Orochimaru, who she found too creepy. Overall, she was like a mini-Naruto clone.

Naruto eventually warmed up to the idea of being an older brother. At her request, he began teaching Tsuki kenjutsu and how to harness her wind chakra. She claimed that her dream was to become strong just like Naruto.

She still had a long ways to go in her kenjutsu, but she was adequate enough to take on most chūnin level shinobi. As for her wind manipulation, other than a few D-rank and a C-rank jutsu, it was till a work-in-progress. But also like her older brother, she was a fast learner.

"Where were you big brother? You were gone for like ever!" Tsuki exclaimed, pointing an accusatory finger at Naruto. Apparently, she was the only one that wasn't informed of Naruto's capture, which he was grateful for. God knows what kind of riot she would've caused.

"I was off on a mission saving a friend and my return was…delayed." Naruto said scratching his head and giving her a sheepish smile.

"Not what I heard…" Sasuke said under his breath, but was quickly silenced by a jab in the arm courtesy of Naruto. Sasuke winced and ignored the pain in his arm as he cursed his blonde friend and his damnable strength.

"Go be annoying somewhere else brat. Naruto and I were talking," Sasuke said to the smaller blonde.

"Shut up Duck-butt! I can talk to my big brother any time I want!" Tsuki yelled back. Sasuke's eye twitched and his brows furrowed.

"Little brat!"

"Big idiot!"

"Demon spawn!"

"Stupid face!"

"Guys!" Naruto interrupted. "Tsuki, be nice. And Sasuke, really? I didn't know someone eight years younger than you could get you worked up so easily." Tsuki huffed and stuck out her tongue while Sasuke 'humphed' in annoyance. Naruto couldn't help but grin at their unique 'relationship'. It was always like this between the two and Sasuke would never learn to be the bigger person and just walk away.

"Still a Duck-butt…" Tsuki mumbled under her breath as she crossed he arms across her chest. Naruto snickered at her comment, earning them both one of Sasuke infamous glares.

"Anyway Naruto, you were telling what happened." Sasuke said turning back to the older blond. Naruto looked back to the raven-haired boy after his small laughing fit. "Ok so it all started when…"

Naruto began the long explanation of the past two weeks of his life, making sure to leave out Hinata and the exact details of his capture. Sasuke would never let him live it down. Tsuki didn't take kindly to being ignored like that. She was about to announce her annoyance until she saw Naruto's waist pouch. She got a devilish grin on her face and vanished from sight.

One thing about her invisibility that made it so unique was that not only did it hide her but it also masked her chakra signature. She became practically undetectable though she could still be found by her scent and can only stay translucent for about ten minutes. If she tries to force it on any longer then she'll cause serious damage to her chakra coils. This made her even more devious when it came to pranks.

Making sure to be as quiet as possible, she snuck around to her brother's backside and slowly reached for the pouch's opening. She paused when Naruto shifted his weight onto his other leg and decided it was safe to continue when he kept talking. Her hand was only a few inches away by now. Just a little bit further and she'd be in. Just as she got a hair's length away, she was snatched off the ground by the back of her shirt and let out a small 'eep' in surprise.

I was then that Naruto turned around to see a shocked Tsuki being held up by Latios. Latios had seen the smile on her face right before she vanished and knew something was up. Unfortunately for Tsuki, Latios has the ability to see through her invisibility and saw her reaching for Naruto's pouch. He quickly intervened before she could commit any heinous acts against his master.

"No fair Tio-chan! I was so close!" Tsuki pouted, being held in the dragon's mouth.

"And what pray tell are you doing going through my things?" Naruto questioned with his arms folded across his chest and an eyebrow raised. Tsuki shrunk under her brother's gaze.

"I um…I just wanted to see if you got many anything," she answered sheepishly whilst poking her index fingers together, much like Hinata used to do.

Naruto let out a sigh. The girl could be so impatient at times! "Patience is a virtue you know Tsuki-chan. I haven't forgotten. Now close your eyes and don't open them until I tell you to."

Latios set Tsuki back down on the ground and immediately heeding her brother's instructions, she shut her eyes as tight as she possibly could. She heard the sound of a button unsnapping followed by slight jingling. Next came footstep and she felt a presence directly in front of her. The jingling noise was heard again and she felt something light being place around her neck. A few more footsteps came and followed by Naruto's voice.

"Alright, you can open your eyes now."

Tsuki opened her eyes and looked down. A gasp escaped her mouth as she held up a silver, moon-shaped necklace. She ran her thumb over the embroidery as she examine before looking carefully at the aquamarine jewel that was fitted perfectly into the moon's crescent. The only jewelry she owned were the moon-shaped earrings that Naruto had gotten her the year before and now she had a beautiful necklace to match.

Naruto smiled and watched on as her green eyes sparkled with joy as she ogled her gift. "Happy Birthday Tsuki-chan," he said bringing her back to reality.

Less than a second later, the newly turned eight year-old was clinging to his waist while excitedly yelling "Thank you!" over and over again. A small smile found its way to his lips as he returned her embrace. She was another good thing in life he got from leaving Konoha. A short moment later, Tsuki broke the embrace and hopped back a few feet from Naruto.

"Look big brother, I've been practicing!" she said excitedly as she pulled her sword from its sheathe and held it at the ready in front of her. Her tiny brow furrowed in concentration as she began to call upon her chakra. Slowly and steadily, a faint shroud of blue chakra formed at the base and ascended the 16 in. tip-less blade.

The chakra only made it half-way up before Tsuki grew weary and lost her focus, causing it to dissipate. Tsuki's arms fell to her sides and she was breathing heavily, trying to restore lost oxygen.

"See…I'll get it in…no time," She panted.

Naruto walked up to her and gently ruffled her hair, ignoring the scowl she shot him. Indeed, she would get it in no time. He had only shown it to her the day before he left and she could already cover her half her sword. if she could accomplish that much alone in two weeks, then under his watchful eye, she would have it down within the next week.

Of course, practice would still be essential and maybe when she was skillful and responsible enough, he'd teach her how to throw wind blades of her sword. There's no telling what her malevolent little mind can conjure up with that kind of technique in her arsenal.

Sasuke, however, found her endeavor amusing as he stood next to Naruto smirking. "A technique like that is too much for a little runt like you," He chastised. Tsuki's right eye twitched in anger.

"Shut up Duck-butt no one was talking to you!" Tsuki yelled as she delivered a strong kick to Sasuke's shin. Both she and Naruto giggled at how the raven-haired boy uncharacteristically bounced about one leg whilst rubbing his bruised shin.

Sasuke, on the other hand, was absolutely livid. "That's it! You're gonna pay for that one!" Sasuke roared as he spawned a chidori and leapt at the little blonde. Tsuki squeaked in fear and took off running. Sasuke chased after Tsuki, who ran in an unorthodox pattern across the roof trying not to get caught. Sasuke nearly had her until she disappeared from sight.

"You're not getting away this time!" Sasuke screamed as he swung wildly in every direction.

Naruto sighed and shook his head at his friend for resorting to a A-rank assassination jutsu on a little girl and his sister for pushing him to that point. He didn't know how to put up with the two.

When he felt a pair of small hands latch onto his coat, signifying that Tsuki was hiding behind him, he decided to calm Sasuke's rampage before he poked someone's eye out with that thing. Sure was good to be home.

* * *

><p>The Village Hidden in the Leaves was buzzing. Rumor around the town was that the demon br- err Fourth's son had been found and returned to the village only to escape no less than an hour later. Some claimed that he single-handedly beat the Hokage and the famous Konoha 10 while other swore they saw him fend off hoards of ANBU and escape unharmed. Those of course were just rumors but one thing for sure was that Naruto was now the talk of the town.<p>

Some proclaimed he was a menace for coming back to the village and hurting the Hokage and needed to be dealt with. But most went about how strong he must've been to pull off such a feat and that he just might be the Fourth's kid. If the looks didn't seal the deal, then this definitely did for most.

Along with the new uproar of gossip all across the village, Naruto had also left the shinobi forces in turmoil. The ANBU scrambled about in search of him, guard patrols had increased, and the Hokage herself was a mess.

Tsunade was absolutely tired. First, she had finally seen the boy she'd been worried sick over for the last three years. Then, there was the daily onslaught of paperwork, and to top it all off, her office exploded. She sure was grateful they had an ANBU on hand skilled with her late grandfather's wood style.

It was late in the evening and the only thing Tsunade wanted to do more than anything was to flopped down on her bed and hopefully wake up from this nightmare. She certainly didn't feel like having the council yapping away in her ear, much like they were.

"Tsunade-sama, we must find and retrieve the boy," Homura said.

"Yes, he must immediately be returned to the village," Koharu chimed in.

Tsunade had been trying her best to ignore them and make it seem like she was listening intently, but something was off. First, they wanted Naruto completely removed from Konoha by ANY means necessary, but now, all of a sudden it became their top priority to get him back.

"Why?" Tsunade asked, trying her best not to scowl at the elderly duo.

"Why? I'll tell you why. He carries the blood of one of our country's greatest heroes and it would be best to limit that bloodline to Konoha alone," Homura said as if it were the most obvious thing in the world.

Tsunade didn't like where this was going. "So what exactly are you trying to say?" She asked warily.

"Simple, we…influence him and have him build a clan here in Konoha. There are plenty of young women that would be more than willing to carry the next heir of the Legendary Fourth Hokage. After his clan bears children, we have him track down Sasuke to do the same. The Sharingan does belong to Konoha after all. In a couple of years after they've out lived their purpose, we dispose of them," Koharu stated simply.

Tsunade just nodded her head in understanding, but really was using all of her willpower to keep from knocking them both clear past the Hokage Monument. "So basically, what you're saying is that we brainwash him, force him into a breeding program, use his to find Sasuke to repeat the same process on him, and breed an army of super ninja or something? She asked as calmly as she could.

"Brainwash has a negative connotation say it like that. Think of it more as…extensive persuasion in our favor," Homura stated.

Tsunade was repulsed. She expected this kind ordeal from Danzō, but not from the council of all people. Not only had they proposed an involuntary breeding program but they wanted to turn him into a tool and kill him off after he served his use. Her rage was reaching an all-time high for the day but she was to worn out. In the words of a certain lazy chūnin, it'd be to troublesome to send them hurtling at the Hokage monument right now.

"No," Tsunade said simply.

"I beg your pardon?" Homura questioned.

"I said no. We're not instituting any kind of breeding programs just for the sake of bettering our village and I'm not sending out a team to search specifically for him."

"But Tsunade, it's essential!" Koharu argued.

"It's unethical is what it is!" Tsunade roared back.

"Tsunade, you mustn't let your personal feelings for the boy cloud your judgment. The boy must be brought home," said Homura. Both councilmen grew confused when the Hokage chuckled.

"My history with Naruto has nothing to do with my judgment. If the boy is found, captured and brought back to Konoha, then we'll deal with the situation accordingly. We're going to treat him like any other missing-nin. After all, I do recall that it was _you _who said that "We can't waste village resources for the sake of one person and a missing-nin at that" when _I _tried to do the same three years ago," Tsunade replied smugly.

She saw them about to state their rebuttal but she decided to speak again before they got the chance.

"And after speaking with Naruto today, I learned he wasn't missing by choice. He was captured by Orochimaru."

"But he's knowingly siding with Orochimaru. If that weren't true, then why did he not escape when he had the chance? Why did he not stay home where he belongs today?" Koharu asked.

"He's _wanted_ here, he doesn't _belong._ Believe it or not, Naruto was gift from Kami himself. A gift that we tarnished and took for granted. Beneath that loud, annoying, hyperactive demeanor was just a poor lost soul looking for guidance. Though I don't agree with his choice of company, Naruto has found someone who can provide that guidance, and I for one am thankful. I can't blame him for not wanting to come back. Would you call a place that made your life a living hell for thirteen years home?" She asked rhetorically.

"Often times, one must play the cards he's dealt," Homura stated.

"Yes, it was his actions that got him in this predicament," Koharu chimed in.

Tsunade sighed angrily as she pinched the bridge of her nose. They were really testing her patience today. Maybe they would be satisfied if she just back-handed through a wall. Honestly, they thought being in Naruto's shoes was easy. She'd like to see them try bei…wait a sec.

Tsunade turned back to her elderly peers with a sudden smile. "You're absolutely right, you gotta play the cards you're dealt. Which is exactly why I'm going to deal you new cards," She said in a suspiciously jolly manner.

"What are you talking about Tsunade?" Koharu asked confusedly.

"You guys write Naruto's life off as no big deal, so I'm going to put you in his shoes. You know, deal you his cards," the blonde Hokage explained.

Homura was beginning to sweat inside. It was no secret (or at least to them it wasn't) as to what kind of life the boy led. He suffered from homelessness, starvation, vilification, assault, and even attempts on his life. "You don't have the authority for such a thing!" Homura protested.

"Actually, as Hokage, I have supreme authority over my subordinates, which includes the two of you. Now, I believe we're done here so you are dismissed," Tsunade said waving them off. They were only worsening her headache.

"But you can't-"

"Dis. Missed," Tsunade reiterated with finality.

The two elders decided to give up for now. The Hokage was being especially obstinate at the moment. Homura was impassive but Koharu shot her a glare that yelled this was far from over.

Tsunade sighed and laid her head on her desk. It had been a long day with Naruto visiting, the explosion at her office, the mass manhunt for the boy, and calming the population, not to mention all the hordes of paperwork she cut down today and now, she could finally have a moment of peace. Perfect time for some Sake!

She opened the drawer that held her secret stash but was surprised to find and envelope with her name on it sitting atop the bottles. The hesitantly picked it up before closing the drawer. Tsunade thumbed over the envelope, feeling for any hidden traps or hidden mechanisms.

Feeling nothing inside except but what she determined to be a piece of paper, she decided to open it. Worst case scenario, it was a paper bomb and she was to apathetic and tired right now to care.

Turns out, it wasn't a paper bomb (fortunately), but instead a folded piece of paper. She flipped it open to reveal a letter addressed to her. She raised an eyebrow and sat back in her chair before reading it over.

_ Tsunade,_

_I wrote this in the event of my capture or if I ever returned to the Leaf. I wanted to tell you I'm sorry and that I won't ever becoming back to Konoha._

_See, after I learned about my missing-nin status, I gave up on Konoha. As you might know by now, I've been training with Orochimaru for the last few years. He promised to grant me the power to protect myself. And before you grow disappointed in me, I want to say that's the only reason: to protect myself._

_I mean what would be better in that situation for a now homeless thirteen year-old boy? Train with a legendary Sannin and have a place to reside in or aimlessly wander the world wondering where my next meal would come from?_

_I feel I should make it clear that I by no means like Orochimaru or agree with his ideals, But I do respect him. He's still a crazy egotistical bastard hell bent on obtaining something beyond his reach. He also taught me many valuable things. _

_The only reason I stay is because I'm not sure what to do with my life right now. I've recently obtained greater…responsibilities now. I have a someone to look after now._

_Guess there's nothing else to say really except please don't come looking for me. I'm really sorry it has to be like this. I despise Konoha but I did leave behind a few precious people, you included. I keep the necklace you gave me as a promise that someday, under different circumstances, we'll each other again. There's someone I want you to meet anyway and I think you'll really like her. Goodbye sounds too final so, see you later…Baa-chan._

_ Naruto_

Tsunade went through an influx of emotions as she read Naruto's letter: Disappointed that he went to Orochimaru, yet understanding of his situation at the time, Sad that he truly meant what he said about Konoha but happy that he promised they would see each other again.

Lastly, there was anger, almost like a motherly impulse. 'If Naruto knows what's was good for him, then he'd better not be fooling around with some hussy or else!,' she ranted in her mind as a chibi Tsunade went about yelling as she beat down on a crying Naruto and a random, poor defenseless girl.

But she was still happy nonetheless. He acknowledged her as one of his precious people, which meant a lot seeing as he had so few. And he guaranteed that they'd meet in the future, and he never went back on his promises, and he sure as hell better not start after telling her something like that.

Tsunade smiled and decided to retire for the night. She wasn't particularly happy about the onslaught of documents needing her signature that tomorrow would bring. She would need a good night's sleep if she wanted to put up a good fight.

Just as she began to fold the letter back up, she noticed the post-script Naruto had left.

_P.S. Shadow Clone + Paperwork…_

Tsunade just stared at the paper blankly.

* * *

><p>"<em><strong>Rasengan!"<strong>_

Tsuki sat propped up against a resting Latios holding her brother's sword as she watched him practice his signature jutsu. He had told her that it was a family jutsu that dad had come up with. She begged him for like a whole week for him to teach it to her but he refused, saying that she didn't have enough chakra and only when she was more responsible and mature.

The nerve! She was TOTALLY responsible and her birthday passed not too long ago so that meant she was more mature! Apparently it doesn't work like that. So she just sat there brooding, trying to snap the red blade in half, to no avail. By the time he decided to teach it to her, he'll have already have finished his new wind version or whatever, meaning she'll be behind.

Finally giving up on trying to break Naruto's stupid sword, Tsuki declared she was bored. Naruto wasn't going to train her until after he was done with his own, which would be a while from now, and she had too much energy to wait that long.

She thought about bugging Naruto, but quickly reconsidered after she remembered how he said not to bother him because it was too dangerous and if she did he wouldn't teach her anything else.

She turned to see Sasuke working on his lightning fist jutsu thing and a devious smile appeared on her face. She hopped to her feet and dusted herself off before going translucent.

"_**Chidori!"**_

A symphony of chirping birds filled the air as Sasuke conjured up his signature technique. With intense concentration, he began to forge the orb of lightning in his palm into the shape of a blade. When he got it to about the size of a kunai, a sudden blast of wind struck his hand, causing his jutsu to dissipate.

Sasuke raised an eyebrow at this. Considering the speed that was required when he first learned it, there was no was a normal gust of wind would be able to break up his jutsu like that. It was then that he felt that uncomfortable twinge in his stomach again. His Tsuki senses were tingling.

His head was on a swivel as he scanned the field looking for the demon child. The only thing in sight was a sleeping Latios and Naruto, who was still perfecting his new jutsu. The younger blonde was nowhere in sight but he knew better than that. She was definitely nearby. Now, only if he could just catch her…

Naruto fell to his knees after another failed attempt. Ever since he returned just under a month ago, he had been trying to mix his wind chakra with the rasengan. It proved difficult just as Jiraiya said. Even his own father hadn't been able to do it yet.

But, at least he was making progress. He was now had a new rasengan variant that consisted of some of his wind chakra. It's more stronger than a normal one and its effects were like that of a destructive wind jutsu. Visibly, it took on a whitish tint and had four blade-like protrusions. Tsuki said it looked like a chubby shuriken, but unfortunately, it can't be thrown. But that got Naruto thinking: what if it could…

The more he thought about it, the less farfetched the idea sounded. His Wind Style: Rasengan did certainly look a shuriken and if he could manage to expanded the blades more, he'd have created a formidable jutsu. He'll have done something that even his _father _hadn't been able to do.

If he pulled this off, he'd have to make sure and thank Tsuki for the idea. Speaking of which, where was the little ball of energy? He look over at the tree he had left her by only to see his sword propped up against the sleeping form of Latios, who lay in the shade of the large oak tree.

He heard a frustrated shout come from Sasuke's direction and turned to find the raven-haired boy wildly swinging his still sheathed sword around as if he were swatting flies. _'Found her,' _Naruto thought shaking his head as me made his way over to his friend.

"So Sasuke, is this a new form of Kenjutsu you're trying to perfect?" Naruto smirked after avoiding a strike aimed at his head.

"Shut up! She's nearby, I just know it! I can sense her," Sasuke retorted.

"You really shouldn't let a little girl get to you so easily like that. I thought you were supposed to be an elite Uchiha or something." Naruto smirked.

"Shut up!" Sasuke yelled placing his sword back into his belt. "I'll show you." Another Chidori sparked to life in Sasuke's hand. He saw the look of displeasure on the blonde face and spoke before he could berate him.

"Relax. This is a new jutsu I came up with the other day. It's completely harmless and Tsuki-proof. Now I suggest you stand back." Naruto raised an eyebrow but decided obey. As long as it's harmless, then he wouldn't have to step in. Plus, this just might knock Tsuki down a few pegs and teach her to stop messing people all the time, especially Sasuke.

Sasuke step forward and closed his eyes. He began on concentrating on every faint presence around him that wasn't Naruto. Hearing the sound of a twig snapping, Sasuke's eyes snapped open and he slammed his jutsu into the ground.

"_**Chidori Nagashi!"**_

Lightning shot through the ground and danced across the field in a rippling effect. Sasuke's chakra arced wildly everywhere until it came to a specific spot not twenty feet away from the boys. The lightning circled around an imaginary figure and danced wildly. A few short seconds later, the lightning dispersed and a shocked (literally) Tsuki came into view. Her hair was smoking slightly and frizzled to no end.

Even from ten feet away, they could hear the static as it rolled off her body. Naruto was snickering to like a madman and if Sasuke smirked any harder his face would be stuck like that. Tsuki was far from amused.

"Narutooooo, Duck-Butt zapped me!" She whined, trying to appeal to her brother.

Naruto wasn't falling for it this time. "Well maybe you should stop messing with people all the time," Naruto smirked.

"It's not funny, that really hurt!" Tsuki yelled, her arms quivering in anger at her sides.

"Heh, that'll teach you you little-"

"SASUKE-KUN! NARUTO-KUN!"

Both boy turned in the direction of the voice that interrupted Sasuke to see Kabuto on the far side of the field walking towards them. He was upon them in mere seconds. He raised an eyebrow, surprised to see Tsuki there.

"Oh Tsuki-chan, I didn't know you were here too. I can kill two birds with one stone. Naruto-kun, Sasuke-kun, Orochimaru-sama wants to see you in his quarters for a mission. Tsuki-chan, to are to come with me to meet Karin for your espionage training."

"Awww but big brother hasn't even trained me yet and he promised! He _never_ goes back on his promises" Tsuki complained. She wasn't happy because Naruto had promised to train her today when he was done with his own training. She really didn't feel like being around _her_ right now.

It was always "Sasuke-kun this!" or "Sasuke-kun that!" with the girl. What exactly did she see in stupid Duck-Butt anyway? Her big brother was so much cooler.

"Sorry Tsuki, next time for sure," Naruto said hugging her as he walked past her back to the hideout.

"Heh, maybe next time Chibi," Sasuke said ruffling her as he passed, earning a glare from the little blonde.

"Stop calling me that!" Tsuki screamed as she pulled out a kunai. Just as she was about to fling it at the raven-haired boy, Kabuto snatched her by the wrist.

"Time for your training missy," he said tugging her in the opposite direction.

"Nooooo I don't wanna!" Tsuki yelled as she struggled to break free.

* * *

><p>Naruto and Sasuke arrived in front Orochimaru's room. They knocked on the door and waited to be let in. Hearing the snake-sannin's voice, they opened the heavy door and stepped inside.<p>

They immediately noticed Orochimaru's sickly stature. He was more paler than usual (if that was even anatomically possible…), tubes connected to machines by his bedside extended out of his arms and he was coughing almost constantly. They had never seen the man look so…weak.

The man who killed the Third (well at least responsible in a way), the legendary Professor, God of Shinobi himself, looked like the slightest prick could end his life instantaneously. The two teen slowly approached the bed and waited to be addressed.

"Hello *cough* Boys, I have a mission for you. I need *cough* you *cough* to *cough*" Orochimaru wasn't even able to finish his sentence before he was assaulted by another series of coughs. Naruto took a step forward to help but was halted when the snake man raised his hand.

Orochimaru took a small vial from the stand at his bedside and drank its contents. He took a deep breath and his diaphragm calmed as he exhaled slowly. The medicine was only temporary but at least he would be able to say what he needed to say.

"As I was saying, I have yet another mission for you. I need you boys to retrieve a scroll from me from Fire Country. It's in an abandoned temple near the Fire-Rain border. It's vital that you bring it back without fail, as I need it for my research. Time is of the essence. There's a scroll with more details and a map inside the that drawer," He said pointing to his nightstand.

Naruto walked over and opened said drawer, and just as he said, there was indeed a scroll and a map, which he preceded to look it over. Naruto exchanged glances with Sasuke and both nodded before heading for the door.

"Oh and another thing…" Orochimaru began, stopping the boys in their tracks. "There have been reports of Akatsuki movements in the Land of Fire. Their motives are unclear but be weary. And don't hesitate to eliminate them if you get the chance," the snake-nin chuckled.

Neither boy turned around and continued their way out of the room. Orochimaru grinned as he was left to himself again. His body was beginning the reject him even more and he knew that it was almost time.

Soon, he would be able to claim his prize. Soon, the legendary Sharingan of Uchiha clan would be his and he would be one step closer to his lifelong goal of immortality. But for now, he would have to just sit back and bide his time.

'_Soon Sasuke-kun, your body will be mine kukukuku'_

* * *

><p>This chapter wasn't really meant to advance the storyline much, just a quick follow-up in Konoha and to introduce my OC, who I absolutely love! :)<p>

She's the reason Naruto isn't cold and heartless. She just like he was, annoying and persistent, and we've all seen the effect Naruto had on people. Kinda surprised that no one ever asked me about the necklaces Naruto bought back in Chapter 2 but now you know.

I've been thinking of doing another Naruto and Sasuke fight and I wanted to know what you guys think. And before you ask, I'm doing the follow up with Naruto's friends next chapter and possibly Tsunade's punishment. And you guys I was serious about more ideas; I'm seriously at a loss ._.

Last thing before I go (and I promise that this is the last time I ever mention the subject), If you leave a review, at LEAST two sentences. Not that I don't appreciate it but I don't like three word reviews. My phone updates me on EVERY favorite, alert, and review and it's annoying to pull up short reviews like that. Tell me your inner most thoughts! I promise I won't get upset, I already said I want any kind of criticism whatsoever (just don't be a dick about it.) Soooo...R+R and let me know what you think! ^_^


	7. Rivals

Hits: 7,165

Favorites: 92

Alerts: 71

Yosh! back again with a new Chap! First, i want to start off by saying thanks for all the support. You guys really love this story and I'm happy to be writing it for you! ^_^

Naruhina is officially taboo in this fic now. Don't wanna hear anything good OR bad about it. Just annoys the hell outta me on how controversial the subject is.

Anyway, this week's update was kinda slow because I was busy enlisting for the Air Force on Tuesday and Wednesday (It's a LONG process) and I didn't have as much time to write this week because they had me staying in a hotel and I didn't bring my laptop.

Updates might slow down a bit because I have to focus on my Economics which I'm taking online and I'm already behind because I started late. I don't pass Econ, I don't graduate; I don't graduate I don't go to the Air Force and my mom kills me (Literally!) so please bear with me.

I found theme songs for my Naruto and Sasuke in this story. I listen to then all the time while I write and I (personally) think it fits them.

Naruto Theme 1: Strong and Strike- SHOULD be Naruto's standard fight theme

Naruto Theme 2: Dj Ephixa's Lost Woods Dubstep Remix (Link: /watch?v=NU75uz0b8EU&list=FL11e3FJT9FSliwg1WRvqoiQ&index=31&feature=plpp_video)- I think of Naruto every time I hear this so...

Sasuke Theme 1: Sunspot (Kokuten) - Sasuke's standard fight theme

Sasuke Theme 2: Dj Ephixa's Song of Storms Dubstep Remix (Link: /watch?v=yp3UeCguVVI&feature=BFa&list=FL11e3FJT9FSliwg1WRvqoiQ&lf=plpp_video)- Try to think Sasuke vs Itachi fight. That's what I do

And yes I know they're Zelda songs. SaS & Kukoten are hands down the best best hype/fight music to ever come out of Naruto (No Objections: I HAVE SPOKEN!) and LW & SoS are my favorites dubsteps ever, right behind Louder (Doctor P & Flux Pavilion Remix of course). If you don't agree on any of the last 140 words, I don't care :P

Damn it, I got sidetracked...Anyway I'm glad to see people Like my OC. Bet you guys weren't expecting that kind _her_ were you? Tsuki wasn't originally in the initial planning process, she kinda just came to me one day. You'll only see that side of Sasuke whenever she's around.

I can't think of anything else really for now and if I do, I'll just change this sentence. Without further adieu, I give you...

* * *

><p>Chapter VII: Rivals<p>

Naruto and Sasuke Leisurely made their way down a road somewhere in the Fire Country near the Grass Country border. They did this in case they ran into any trouble with Konoha and they could just easily escape across the border. Naruto left Latios back home since he couldn't support both boys weight and there wasn't a bird in Sasuke's hawk summons (Which he mysteriously obtained and refuses to tell how) that could keep up. So they opted to walk instead. A perfect chance to get in their training.

See, Naruto unknowingly had another chakra nature, lightning. But his was different than Sasuke's or anyone else's for that matter. It was stronger and golden in color. Unfortunately for Naruto, he couldn't call it forth on the level that Sasuke was able to. In fact, Naruto had no control over it at all, it was just random.

So Sasuke opted to teach Naruto how to control it and the only way he knew how to do that was to teach him the Chidori. After all, that how he began. As compensation and thanks, Naruto agreed to teaching Sasuke the Rasengan. It only seemed fair that if his best friend was teaching him his signature jutsu that he should do the same.

The idea was for them to learn at the same pace and give each other pointers, but that plan flew out the window fast. Sasuke, though not mastered, could already form a Rasengan. He had only begun learning a week after Naruto returned home and breezed through the first two steps in one week. The real problem was step three. He struggled (though he wouldn't admit it) with the shape transformation and had just recently got it down recently got it down.

Even though he could form a Rasengan, it wasn't as effective or strong as Naruto's, but it could still ruin someone's day. Not to mention the amount of chakra he used in creating just one. It felt like those days after he first learned the Chidori.

Naruto, on the other hand, struggled immensely. Unlike the Rasengan, which was pure chakra, the Chidori was elemental chakra which he had no control over what so ever. The most he could do now has call forth a few sparks to his hand, enough to highly annoy someone but non-lethal whatsoever.

Naruto noticed something during his training, which he felt might be the cause. As he used his lightning chakra, it seemed resistant yet natural at the same time. Like part of him welcome it while part of him rejected it. He had only discovered it recently so maybe it was still dormant in a way. Whatever the cause was, Naruto was displeased. At the rate he was going, it would take him years just to gain any form of control and another whole lifetime to get the Chidori down.

But Naruto's stubborn nature took over and he refused to give up. So he now found himself walking down the road practicing some exercises that Sasuke had shown him. He watched in deep concentration as golden sparks danced across his hand. He was getting better, almost at the point where he formed full stream of electricity instead of just random sparks.

His concentration faltered however after he heard the ever so familiar surge of chakra coming from his right. He looked over to see Sasuke holding yet ANOTHER Rasengan.

"Heh, I think I'm starting to get the hang of this," Sasuke smirked. Slowly, but surely, he was starting to use less and less chakra each time. It still took him a minute to form and stabilize it though, but that could easily be fixed over time.

Naruto shot a glare at the raven-haired boy. He just had to upstage him again, always walking around making everything look sooo easy cause of his stupid good genes. A mischievous glint appeared in Naruto's eyes. Before the electricity coursing over his hand could recede, he reached over to the unsuspecting Uchiha and placed his hand on his shoulder.

Sasuke flinched violently as the jutsu he held quickly dissipated. After he recovered from the shock, Sasuke shot the all too innocent looking blonde a death glare.

"What the hell was that for?" Sasuke barked.

"I touched you, too much static on my hands, you know how that works," Naruto shrugged.

"You're just mad because you're because I can use your technique and you can't use mine," Sasuke smirked. He found it typical of Naruto to get jealous of him. He's been like that ever since they were genin.

"Pssh, like I care about some stupid lightning jutsu. I've seen stronger bug zappers," Naruto scoffed.

Sasuke's eye twitched. "Shut up! You weren't saying that when I offered to teach you,"

"Whatever I still got the Rasengan. Fits me better anyway. It's a man's jutsu, all about strength and power. Speed and Finesse jutsu like the Chidori are for sissies anyway. Suits you perfectly," The blonde said, swelling with pride.

"Like hell it is! Don't forget me and my Chidori wiped the floor with you three years ago!"

"Ehh you cheated. Plus I was smaller than you."

"That doesn't have anything to do with it."

"That's my story and I'm sticking to it. Doesn't matter now anyway since I'm clearly the stronger one now." Naruto huffed stubbornly.

"Heh, that's about true as Sakura being madly in love with you," Sasuke scoffed, knocking the blonde down a few pegs.

"That's it!" Naruto growled. "We're settling this right here, right now, once and for all!"

"Fine." This tie-breaker would finally end their ongoing rivalry and prove which of the two was best.

"First one to the temple wins," Naruto declared.

Sasuke smirked at his rival's dimwittedness. His speed was on a whole different level than the blonde's. Winning this race would be a cinch.

"We'll go when it hits the ground," Naruto said pulling out a coin. He flicked it high in the air and both boys readied themselves. The coin reached its peak and the boy's exchanged glances, each donning a smug look on their face. Time slowed as the coin fell past their eye level. The sounds of the forest seemed to disappear as everything came to a standstill. This was the moment of truth.

The moment the coin nicked the ground, both boys vanished in a flash of movement, leaving no trace of their presence other than a gust of wind that left the trees swaying and a single copper coin lying peacefully in the middle of the road.

* * *

><p>Deep within the confines of Konohagakure's shopping district sat a bustling barbeque restaurant. Seated inside were the members of the Konoha 10, a young group of elite ninja that showed great promise. And like the rest of the village lately, they were on the subject of the Yondiame's son and his exploits in the village about a month ago.<p>

"So about Naruto you guys, what should we do?" Ino asked.

"What can we do? He said so himself that he doesn't want to be found and he isn't coming back to Konoha. This whole situation is too troublesome if you ask me," Shikamaru said leaning back with his hands behind his head.

"I say when we find him, we take hogtie him, drag him back to Konoha by his ankles, and take back my sword. That'll teach that sexist jerk," Tenten said. She was still a little irked over the whole "Plain-Jane" comment and "demeaning her skills as a kunoichi" as she put it.

"Uh Tenten, I do believe that that sword belongs to Naruto-kun," Lee corrected.

"Like hell it does! He broke one of my favorite weapons and by default, he owes me one. Equivalent Exchange, duh!" the brunette kunoichi exclaimed. She was pissed about finding out it went missing after the ordeal in Tsunade's office. He must've swiped it during all the commotion of the explosion.

"Ahh shut up Tenten. You're just mad because Naruto was flirting with you and looking out for your well-being and you got all riled up," Kiba said munching on some barbeque. He was tired of the older brunettes complaining. She seriously needed to just let it go. Tenten went red as a tomato and couldn't find the words to respond.

"We have to save him you guys, Sasuke too. Orochimaru must've done something to him. That's NOT the Naruto we used to know and remember," Sakura stated. She was still in denial about Naruto's new behavior. She was convinced he was being manipulated and as his friend, it was their duty to bring him to his senses.

"Sakura, it is clear by his actions that he is doing this of his own free will, as is Sasuke. There's no hope for them now," Neji said plainly.

"No, it's not true! They gotta come back to the village, they just gotta!" the pink-haired kunoichi yelled. She was being persistently stubborn about the situation.

"Do they Sakura? Do they really?" Neji asked. "Sasuke craves power and no longer has anything to tie him down in Konoha. He abandoned Konoha, his friends, his team, everything. He has no reason to come back. And as for Naruto…we all know why he stays away."

The mood grew darker and everyone's faces sank as the group fell silent. It was obvious that Naruto bore hatred towards the village for what they did to him, and who could blame him.

"Would you return to a place like that that treated you in such a manner?" Shikamaru asked, his voice just above a whisper.

"Naruto never stood a chance in Konoha; no parents, no family, and barely any acknowledgement whatsoever. Even after he saved the village three times, people refused to acknowledge him," Chōji said staring at his plate.

"Three times?" Kiba asked confusedly.

"Yeah, three. First, he's held the Kyūbi at bay for all these years and prevented from wiping out the village, yet people only saw him as the fox that slaughtered their loved ones," Said Neji.

"And also, during the Sand-Sound invasion, he single-handedly stopped Gaara's rampage and prevented the him from destroying the village. But people stripped him of that accomplishment and claimed it to be Sasuke's doing," Shino said.

"And I found out from Shizune-san, that if it weren't for Naruto, Tsunade-sama would've never come back to the village to be Hokage. She never said exactly what he did, but whatever it was, it was enough to convince Hokage-sama, who herself had been adamant about not returning to the village. There's no telling what kinda of trouble or uproar would've occurred had someone else like Danzō been appointed instead," Shikamaru stated.

"Naruto truly was a one of a kind person. He always acted without ever asking for anything in return," Chōji said softly

"Yeah, he might've been loud, annoying, obnoxious, hyperactive, brash, idiotic-"

"Ino…"

"But he was still a good friend," the platinum blonde finished.

"Not to mention he was crazy strong!" Kiba said.

"More like crazy stupid! He just dove head first into danger without any regard for planning or safety. But I will say that he was definitely determined," Tenten said.

"H-He was also n-nice and c-caring," Hinata stammered.

"Naruto was a lot of things but I'd never think he'd go from being such a dork to a total hottie," Ino said. Everyone stared at her like she'd grown an extra head.

"What? He actually looks cute now that he's got some height and wearing something other than that abomination of a jumpsuit he had before. Not to mention he lost all his baby fat and the way his hair hangs in front of his eyes make him look mysterious. And did you see those muscles?"

"Ino!" Sakura yelled. She honestly deny what the blonde was saying. Naruto indeed had grown rather handsome, but she only saw that annoying, hyperactive, happy-go-lucky friend she had lost years ago. She couldn't picture anyone, save Hinata, seeing Naruto in that way.

"Look Sakura, it's not my fault he turned out that way and I happen to like it. I blame it on the hormones. You might not be willing to give Naruto a chance but I sure as hell will."

"Wait Ino, everyone one knows Hinata's bean crushing on him since like…forever!" Chōji said, making the Hyūga heir turn bright pink.

"What, it's not my fault Hinata's shy. Sorry Hinata, but all's fair in love and war. The way I see it, she had a multiple times to snag him as her own."

"You did too Ino, you were just too wrapped up in your precious "Sasuke-kun" like every other girl in town, unlike Hinata," Tenten argued.

"Shut up, I was young and ignorant back then! I'll have you know I've grown into woman now," Ino huffed, crossing her arms.

"It doesn't matter since he's never coming back!" Kiba interjected, putting everyone back in a solemn mood. He didn't mean to on purpose but he was sick of all the "Naruto this" and "Naruto that". The boy wasn't even there yet he was the center of everyone's affection.

Shikamaru let out a sigh. He looked at a clock hanging on the wall across the restaurant and noticed it was almost two. "Chōji, Ino, we'd better get going. We have to meet Asuma-sensei at the main gate in fifteen minutes for our mission," he said to his teammates.

"Oh yeah, I almost forgot!" Chōji said scarfing down one last piece of barbeque.

"What kind a mission?" a curious Sakura asked.

"There have been reports of sightings of men in black cloaks cover in red clouds moving around in the North," Shikamaru stated.

"Akatsuki," Sakura growled.

"Yeah, Tsunade-sama is sending us sending us along with Izumo and Kotetsu to go investigate," Chōji explained.

"Well we'd better get going, don't wanna keep Asuma-sensei waiting," Ino said pushing her teammates towards the door.

"Guess I'll head back to the hospital then," Sakura said getting up to leave, placing the money for her meal on the table.

"We'd better leave too Hinata-sama so that we're not late for the clan meeting," Neji said. Hinata merely nodded and the two Hyūga excused themselves after they left the appropriate funds for lunch.

"Come on Shino, Kurenai-sensei said she had big news to tell us today," Kiba said. The remaining members of Team Eight took their exit after paying, leaving Lee and Tenten alone at the table.

"Tenten, would you mind-"

"Sorry Lee, maybe next time," the brunette said quickly, placing money on the table before bolting out of the restaurant.

"It would seem that I will be training on my own then. Yosh, I will run 300 laps around Konoha on my hands and if I cannot then I will do 10,000 sit-ups!" Lee exclaimed to himself as he shot to his feet.

"Um excuse me sir?"

Lee turned around to see a waitress holding a plate of what looked like cake.

"Would you be interested in sampling our newest desert? It' a recipe that came from overseas," she asked.

Lee thought about it for second and figure no harm would come from having one slice of cake. "Sure why not!" the green clad ninja exclaimed.

The waitress set the plate down in front of Lee, who in turn took a bite. The waitress waited with bated breath as Lee pause from chewing. This new desert was a hit along the coasts and had potential to bring in new customers. Suddenly, with new found vigor, Lee scarfing down the rest, cleaning his plate.

"Bring me 10 more orders please!" Lee exclaimed.

"Coming right up sir!" the waitress smiled. She hope everyone would like the new desert as much as him. A few minutes later, she set down the last of Lee's order and watched as he continued to devour his food.

"This is the most youthful desert I have ever had! What is it called?"

"Rum Cake," She answered with a smile.

* * *

><p>The forest was buzzing with activity as two figures sped through the trees. Naruto and Sasuke were running a heated race as the barreled through the forest on a beeline to the abandoned temple. They speeds they moved at made them appear to be nothing more than mere blurs.<p>

Currently, Sasuke was ahead with Naruto hot on his heels. He was sure he had this in the bag but the persistent blonde was right there with him the entire way. He needed a way to pull ahead and the only way he could think of was to slow Naruto down. Sifting through a few idea's in his head, he found the perfect one and an overconfident smirk returned to his face.

Naruto noticed Sasuke look back at him and grew suspicious of the Uchiha. He remained wary as he tried to come up with a plan to pass the boy. Sheer speed was out of the question. His only plan at the moment was to outlast Sasuke and pass him when he grew tired. After all, Naruto was known for his crazy stamina.

"_**Fire Style: Fireball Jutsu!"**_

Snapped his head forward to no longer see Sasuke in front of him but a giant fireball flying straight at him. _'So that's how he wants to play huh? Fine by me,' _ Naruto thought to himself while forming three hand signs and inhaling deeply.

"_**Wind Style: Unrelenting Force!" **_Naruto expelled a hurricane force of wind from his mouth that shot forward and collided with the fireball, dissipating it completely. Naruto smirked as his jutsu wiped out Sasuke's. It was his strongest long-range wind jutsu and it made short work of most fire jutsu C-rank or lower. It had been a Dragon Flame Bullet, it'd be a whole different story.

When Naruto burst past the remains of the fireball, he immediately noticed that Sasuke was no longer in sight. He didn't have much time to contemplate the matter as he found himself caught in a web of wires. Naruto struggled to untangle himself but it proved to be very difficult. Hearing movement, he looked up just in time to catch a smirking Sasuke flying over him.

Sasuke was glad his plan worked and figure he have more than enough time to distance himself. He picked up speed and continued ahead while Naruto continued to try and escape his bonds. "Sasuke!" he heard the blonde roar behind him.

Naruto tried reaching for his sword but every time he moved, the wires cut deeper into his skin. He'd been hanging there for a good two minutes and wasn't making any progress at escaping. In a fit of anger, Naruto let out a frustrated roar and violently swirled around him, cutting him free.

Naruto landed on a branch and began plotting how to exact his revenge. At the rate Sasuke was moving, it would be impossible to catch up by conventional means. Then again, Naruto never was known to be conventional.

Naruto reached into pouch and pulled out three kunai. Summoning all of his strength and a twinge of chakra, Naruto launched the three kunai in the direction he'd seen Sasuke heading. Feeling exhausted, he lost his balance and slipped off the branch and fell to the ground below. There was a loud thud and a puff of smoke that sent nearby forest creatures fleeing.

Sasuke continued his journey through the forest. He had slowed down some to prevent himself from tiring too easily and giving the chance for Naruto to catch up. He absolutely had to reach the temple before Naruto. He would be second-rate to no one. That and the blonde would never let him hear the end of it.

Just as he settled into a comfortable cruising pace, he felt a small presence approaching him rapidly. He glanced over his shoulder to catch the glint of three kunai closing in on him. Shock graced his features for a short moment before it was washed over by calm. There was no way possible Naruto had been able to catch up that fast.

He didn't know where the kunai came from but he would dispose of them accordingly. He grabbed his sword by the hilt and turned around but just as he went to knock the away, two of the kunai poofed into clouds of smoke.

Confusion didn't have time to register on his face as two Narutos emerged from the smoke and latched on to him. One caught him in a bear hug around his torso, preventing the use of his arms while the other wrapped around his waist. Their momentum sent him hurtling to the forest floor below. The final kunai embedded itself in a nearby tree and poofed into a cloud of smoke, revealing yet another Naruto.

Naruto was grinning like a madman as he watched Sasuke try to squirm free of his clones. It was idea have a clone follow Sasuke instead of doing it himself. His original plan was to have the clone throw himself, henged as a kunai at the temple when they were close enough, but that plan was thrown out the window. At least he was able to catch up.

Noticing Sasuke about to break free, he formed an all too familiar hand sign. _**"Multi Shadow Clone Jutsu!" **_A batch of Naruto clones spawned into existence and converged on Sasuke's position, creating a large dog pile, with Sasuke buried beneath.

"Naruto!" Sasuke's muffled scream came from under the pile of Naruto clones.

"Heh, have fun Sasuke, see you at the temple! Keep him busy boys!" With that, Naruto leapt away and continued on his way to the temple.

Sasuke, on the other hand, struggled to break free of the clones. Not only were they holding down his arms and legs but all their weight was weighing him down nearly crushing him. Without any way to move his limbs or perform any jutsu he attempted the only thing he felt possible.

"_**Chidori Nagashi!"**_

Electricity exploded from his body and arced outwards. All the clones began to poof out of existence, leaving behind a massive cloud of smoke. A few seconds passed and the smoke dispersed, revealing a crouching Sasuke. Black flame marks of the Curse Marks covered his entire body and anger was clearly etched onto his face. The demonic aura he gave off spread throughout the area.

"Not…this…time!" Sasuke growled. A shockwave exploded and debris kicked up from Sasuke's position as he disappeared from sight.

Naruto was speeding his way through the trees when he felt a surge of power behind him. Whatever it was, it sure was powerful and ominous, almost demonic. Naruto nearly lost his balance when he saw Sasuke flash into existence not fifteen feet behind him. An angry scowl was set upon his features and the black flames of his Curse Mark wrapped around his body. The raven-haired boy was closing in on him quickly.

'_Really Sasuke, the Curse Mark? Fine, two can play that game!' _Naruto's eyes flashed red and his whiskers became more defined as he tapped into the fox's chakra. By this time Sasuke had caught up and the two ran side by side.

"Give it up Uzumaki! I'm faster than you are, you can't win!" Sasuke yelled without diverting his attention from the path ahead.

"In your dreams Uchiha! Today's the day we settle this!" Naruto yelled back, eyes still focused forward.

* * *

><p>Deep underground within the confines of Konoha's Interrogation Corps building, Tsunade stood silently in a room as she waited for the guests of honor. Alongside her stood Konoha's Ice Mistress and Genjutsu Specialist Kurenai Yūhi, the Iron-Fisted Ibiki Morino, fellow Interrogation Division Officer Inoichi Yamanaka, and an ANBU Captain.<p>

The only other things in the room were two metal chairs and a few ANBU to stand guard. Tsunade had called the three of them down to put her plan into action, as each had an important role to play. Hopefully, after today, those old bags would see just how hard a life Naruto led.

The plan was to have Inoichi access the ANBU's memories from when he watched over Naruto when he was younger (Who she nearly beat to death after finding out he sat by and did nothing) and have Ibiki, with the help of Kurenai, recreate those memories from Naruto's point of view. If they thought Naruto's life was so easy, then fine, they would relive it.

Truth be told, Tsunade hated the idea herself. It made her sick to think something like that could happen to defenseless little child but it was the only way to get the council to see exactly why Naruto holds animosity towards the village.

Just then, there was a knock on the door. 'Speak of the devil, the guests of honor have arrived,' Tsunade thoughts as she signaled the guard to open the door. The ANBU nodded and opened the door revealing Homura and Koharu escorted by three ANBU.

"Tsunade, what's the meaning of this?" Koharu spoke. She was not happy with being drug away from her daily duties with no kind of explanation.

"I'm doing exactly what I said and dealing you two new cards," the Hokage responded.

"What do you mean Tsunade-hime?" Homura asked. He was confused as to what she was getting at.

"See, you guys write Naruto's life off as if it were nothing. You fail to realize why he stays away. So now, you're going to find out. ANBU," Tsunade snapped and the councilmen were seized and bound to the chairs. "You are going to relive some of Naruto's darkest moments. Maybe then, you'll catch a small glimpse of the hell he went through," Tsunade explained.

'You can't put us through torture like this without cause!" Koharu screamed.

"On the contrary, I can. I'M Hokage and YOU are the subordinates. And officially, this isn't torture. Try to think of it as…off the record genjutsu training," Tsunade retorted.

"Tsunade-hime I'm confused, we have no use for genjutsu training," Homura said.

"Actually, everyone is susceptible to it, even higher-ups, so this validates it. You never know when one of you might fall prey to an enemy and I'm just concerned from my well-being," Tsunade smirked.

"Very well then," Homura said understanding. She technically did have the reason and authority to do this and since it was off the record, no one outside of the room would know about it, and with her being the Hokage, there really isn't anyone to report her to. The Daimyo doesn't concern himself in the matters of shinobi.

Koharu, on the other hand, wasn't going to stand for it. "This is absurd! Let us go this instant or el-"

"Or else what?" Tsunade barked. "You gonna tell on me? That's fine, tell who may I ask?" Tsunade queried, waiting for a response. Koharu just stared ahead, mouth quivering, unable to come up with a response.

"Just as I thought. Maybe this will also teach you to respect my authority. _I_run this village, not _you_,not the _villagers_, and certainly as hell not _Danzō_. You're _advisers_, you _advise_, not lead. We do things my way! Inoichi, start the process!" Tsunade roared.

The blonde man wasted no time following orders as he went over to the battered and bruised ANBU and began scanning his brain. Best not to upset the already foul-mood Hokage.

Tsunade took a step back to calm herself down as Ibiki and Kurenai got into position. She needed to calm herself down after her totalitarian rant. It wasn't her intention to sound like a dictator but it was the truth. They appointed her to lead the village and she would do it without someone breathing down her back the whole time.

"Hokage-sama, we're ready to begin the operation," Ibiki said, drawing her out of her thoughts and back to reality.

"Commence!" Tsunade said sternly, arms folded across her buxom torso.

* * *

><p>The two bounded across the treetops, breaking branches with each step as they continued their ego-driven race. After reaching a large grassy plain at the edge of the forest, they dropped down to the ground below and began sprinting across the field. Sasuke growled at how the blonde was keeping pace with him while Naruto just smirked every time the raven-haired boy unsuccessfully attempted to pull ahead.<p>

This continued for ten whole minutes until their goal finally came within sight. The temple they were searching for sat at edge of a cliff five kilometers from their current position.

Sasuke decided to go all out and go for the win. His skin turned a sickly grey and his now indigo hair grew until it reached his lower back. He slipped his arms out of his shirt and it fell to hang at his side. With one hard step, Sasuke launched forward himself and into the air as his wings sprouted from his back.

After witnessing Sasuke's demonic transformation, Naruto tapped into his own dark powers. He dropped down and began barreling through the grass on all fours as menacing red chakra seeped from his pores. The chakra settled to form a cloak around his body in the shape of a one-tailed fox.

Naruto and Sasuke were now tearing across the field at inhuman speeds. Naruto's claws dug into dirt with each stride and more chakra coursed into his muscles with each step. Sasuke's wings pushed him forward with each powerful flap as they were flooded with more and more chakra.

The gate marking the entrance to the temple was drawing nearer and nearer. The duo shot each other a deathly glare as they entered the final stretch. This was it; It was now or never.

"**Naruto!"**

"**Sasuke!"**

Both let out a roar as they entered the grounds of the temple. A plume of dust kicked up around the area from where the two skidded to a halt. A gust of wind swept through the grounds, clearing away the dust cloud. Both boys came view panting heavily and doubled over, resting their hands on their knees.

"Looks like…you lost…" Sasuke panted.

"What are you…talking about? I totally…won" Naruto breathed heavily.

"Naruto, stop lying to yourself, I won!" Sasuke shouted, standing up straight.

"Like hell you did! I totally smoked you!" Naruto yelled back.

Sasuke growled in anger. Naruto was being too stubborn at the moment to admit defeat and he was tired of their on-going, winner-less rivalry. Today's the day it ends! Calling forth what little chakra he had left, Sasuke summoned forth a Chidori to his left hand. "This silly squabbling ends now Naruto."

Catching his friends drift, Naruto imitated his action by conjuring the rest of his chakra into a rasengan in his right hand. "So that's how it is huh?"

They wordlessly stared each other down for a moment. With unspoken agreement, they rush at each other.

"Narut-"

"Sasuk-"

The words caught in their throats. Their movements halted and the jutsu they held fizzled out. Both failed to realize just how drained the senseless the race left them or how much chakra they wasted for utterly no reason at all. "Damn it," Sasuke cursed as lost consciousness and fell to the ground. "Heh, I stayed awake longer," Naruto smirked before he slumped to the ground, fatigue overtaking him.

They were too caught up in the moment to notice the cloaked figure hiding behind one of the temple's many pillars.

* * *

><p>Chapter is a little shorter than usual but I figured I'd save the rest for next chap. Story is kinda progressing a little slow but it's only because I don't want it to end too quickly and I know you guys don't either. The story will really start to open up here in a few chaps so bear with me please.<p>

As for Naruto's Lightning release, it's all part of the plan. And don't get too caught up on Them learning each other's signature jutsu. Sasuke is teaching Naruto the Chidori because that's how he learned to harness his lightning nature and Naruto taught him the Rasengan as a fair trade.

Lastly, thanks to you guys on the ideas. Most of them were ground-breaking, but that's the thing: they were TOO ground-breaking. I'd have to change around some things that I already have planned out (Like Gento70's idea for introducing Tsuki to the Konoha 10. loved it, but it wouldn't work.)

And I figured out who it was. Thanks for the idea Van der Ay. That's the one I'm most likely going to go with. It was like the only one I got for Sasuke and I'm already developing idea's. As for Naruto, I GUARANTEE that you guys will NEVER figure it out it out but you're more than welcome to try. (and it's not an OC ^_^). If you do on some off chance happen to get it, then I'll...tell you you congratulations. And make you sign a blood oath saying that you won't tell ANYONE! or else... (I know where you live! o_o)

As always, R+R and See you next week! (Hopefully ._.)


	8. Revelations

Hits: 11,420

Favs: 115

Alerts: 97

Yosh! hit my first major mile stone: 10,000 hits! ^^

You know, after typing this chapter, I realized this story is gonna be a lot longer than I expected. There's a good chance that'll 200,000 words possibly more if I had to guess.

I noticed after reading a couple reviews that you guys never comment on the stuff I expect you to. Ex: Chapter 4

Expectation: _"You bastard! You got Naruto captured!"_

_Reality: "You bastard! You made it Naruhina!"_

There's also a lot more stuff i expected to here from you guys about but I guess you're just not that observant, couldn't careless, or too lazy to bring it up. Oh well.

"Oh and thanks for guessing the pairing and making me look like a jackass T_T I realized shortly after "If they think outside the box, there's not really alot of options left" Anyway someone(s) guessed it but I won't say who or what the pairing is :P

Anyway, this chapter is basically an introduction into the main story line which will kick off in a few chapter. Enough of my rambling tho, I've kept you guys waiting long enough, so here's...

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter VIII : Revelations<strong>

When Naruto awoke, he found himself in the ever so familiar sewer-like dungeon that was his mindscape. The water cropped the outline of his face as he lay on his back. Naruto sat up with a sigh and tried to recollect what happened before he went out.

Last thing he remembered was lunging at Sasuke and then everything went blank. He figured he must've succumbed to chakra exhaustion. Thinking back on it, he realized it really was stupid of them to waste so much chakra like on a silly competition. The fact that they used their respective demonic chakra too was completely nonsensical. Now they were unconscious and totally drained.

There was no way of knowing what's happening to their real bodies right now. For all he knew, they could've been taken hostage by a group of bandits, or the Akatsuki, or even worse…Konoha.

Well, whoever it was, they'd just have to break free and escape, retrieve Orochimaru's scroll, and return home, simple as that. But that came after he regained consciousness. Naruto heaved himself to his feet and extended his arms above his head, stretching to full length.

'_Might as well pay the fox a visit,' _Naruto thought as he began to wonder the endless corridors of his mind. He hadn't been in contact with the great beast residing in him ever since he lost control during his training.

About a year after he began training, Orochimaru came forth with an idea to train Naruto in the Nine-Tails' chakra. Naruto was of course skeptical at first, but then the Snake-Sannin explained how it would prove beneficial to be able to harness the power of the burden bestowed upon him. The way he put it, he _was_ stuck with it for life and if he was able to tap into its power, he might as well.

So he reluctantly agreed. Everything was going great until Orochimaru pushed him past the third tail. The Fox's demonic influence proved too powerful and he would've taken over completely had it not been for Latios, who hit Naruto with some strange beam that instantly suppressed the vile chakra. Since then, Naruto had vowed to never go past the third tail, not that he even needed to. Hell, he rarely went to one.

So the blonde was aimlessly wandering the halls of his mind in search of his tenant when something strange caught his eye. A large black door sat at the end of what he'd thought to be a dead end. Last time he checked, there had _never_ been any doors like that or any at all in his mind before.

Naruto cautiously stepped forward to approach the door. He didn't know What the hell it was it but it was in his conscious and it was well within his right to find out. As he drew closer, the weird warmth-like aura that seemed to be emanating from the door grew stronger.

Naruto stopped right in front of the door, the warm aura overwhelming his senses. He didn't know what was inside, but whatever it was, it was powerful, yet calm at the same time. The door gave off a peaceful ambience but Naruto knew better. He had to be ready for a fight, for one could erupt at any moment. Taking a deep breath, Naruto opened the dark door and stepped inside.

Darkness. Complete and utter Darkness was the first thing Naruto noticed when he entered the room. He wouldn't even dare call it a room; more like an endless black void cut off from the rest of the world. Naruto turned back to face the door but didn't find one.

"Guess this is a one way trip," Naruto sighed to himself. His senses kicked in and he was immediately on guard when felt the presence of another. Naruto scanned the darkness until his eyes fell upon the intruder.

It was a blue and black fox like creature that seemed to be meditating. It hovered about two feet above the seemingly nonexistent ground as Naruto perceived as purplish blue fire circulated around it's body. His eyes were shut tight.

"It seems we meet again young Namikaze-sama," the fox said, eyes still closed. It was then that Naruto recognized the creature. It was the same fox that gave him the Soul Dew that became Latios.

"You're that fox from three years ago," Naruto said approaching the creature cautiously.

"Indeed I am," the fox replied, still motionless.

"I don't know how you got inside my head but I wanna know why you here?" Naruto asked unsheathing his sword and pointing it at the fox's nose.

"I have come with urgent news on the prophecy Namikaze-sama," was his reply.

"Do not call me that," Naruto said flatly, but there was the faintest hint of malice in his voice.

The fox's eyes shot open and their gaze was cast upon Naruto. Its ruby eyes locked with Naruto's sapphire ones. "Why not? It is your name is it not?" it asked.

"My Name is Naruto Uzumaki. Namikaze was my father's name," Naruto growled.

The fox picked up on the venom in the boy's tone. "You disown your family name and bear hatred towards your father. Why is that?"

"Why do you think? That bastard put that goddamn fox inside me! If it weren't for him, I could've had a normal life. You know, one without senseless hatred and disdain or nuke-nins out to kill me,"

"I'm sure Minato-sama meant well. Did you ever stop and consider his how his actions may have affected him?"

Now that Naruto thought about it, he really hadn't. But that was beside the point; it was still his father's fault. No ever asked his opinion about having a demon stored inside his body. Wait a second…

"Hold on, how do you know my father's name?" Naruto asked.

"As a servant of the Namikaze clan it if my duty to know the names of all my masters," the fox replied as it were the most obvious thing in the world. His eyes were closed again, much to Naruto's annoyance

"Servant? Just who are you? Why are you here? What do you want with me?" Naruto fired question after question.

"I told you Naruto-sama, I am just a humble servant who's come to you with urgent news about the prophecy," the fox stated.

"What the hell is this prophecy you speak of and what does it have to do with me?"

The fox reopened his eyes and cast them over the blonde. He noted the boy's aggressive stance and annoyed expression. "It would seem I will have to explain the origin of your heritage first," the fox sighed.

"What are you talking about?" Naruto asked.

"In order to better under the prophecy, you must learn of your forefathers. Take a seat Naruto-sama, this could take a while," the fox said, gesturing to a spot on the ground before him.

Naruto was apprehensive at first, but seeing as there was no way of leaving, he had no other choice. And maybe he was a little curious of the fox's tale. It certainly didn't seem like it would be leaving him alone anytime soon so he decided to humor it. "Alright, you may begin," Naruto exhaled deeply as he sat down in front of the fox.

"Certainly. Please hold all questions until the end," the fox said before beginning its tale.

* * *

><p><em>It was a warm spring's day in the Village Hidden in the Leaves and the town was buzzing. Today just happened to be one of the most special days of the year, more specifically for women. Today was Mother's Day.<em>

_All across the village husband and children_ _were seen escorting their wives and mothers in and out various shops, boutiques, and restuarants. Men were laughing hardily, children squealed in glee and women's' faces lit up with smiles. Everyone in the village was as happy as can be. Well, almost everyone._

_Little five year-old Naruto Uzumaki was the only person in the village that wasn't smiling. He didn't have a reason too. He didn't have a mommy or daddy and he was the medium of everybody's hatred. He was always getting beat, thrown out of stores, and talk down to. Every time he asked why they just got even angrier with him. So he gave up on that endeavor and just began trying to life his life the best way he can. And right now, that mostly consisted of surviving._

_Naruto didn't like Mother's Day all that much. All it did was force him to remember that he didn't have a mommy. Earlier today, he'd seen a little blue haired girl with white eyes fall and scrape her knee while walking with her mommy. She was sad and crying until her mommy put a band-aid on it and kissed it. Then her mommy tickled her and they both walked away giggling._

_Then, he saw a pink-haired girl and blonde girl walking with their mommies. They were laughing and playing around while their mommies watched them with smiles on their faces._

_Naruto would give anything to have that. Someone to kiss his wounds and make them feel better; Someone to hold him at night after he had nightmares and tell him everything would be alright, and most of all, someone to love him unconditionally._

_Naruto was so caught up in thought that he wasn't watching where he was going and he bumped into someone. There was a grunt followed by a yelp and then then sound of something hitting the ground. Naruto turned his head to see a disheveled man, a little boy on the verge of tears, and a small ice cream cone on the ground._

_The child burst into tears while his mother tried to comfort him. The man, presumably his father, was glaring at Naruto._

"_You goddamn demon, look what you did!" the man yelled at Naruto while pointing at his wailing son._

"_I-I'm sorry sir, I didn't see you," Naruto stammered._

"_That's it! I'm sick you terrorizing the village all the time! I'm gonna get rid of you once and for all," the man growled, taking a step toward Naruto._

_Naruto's danger senses kicked in and he took off running. He almost got away until someone step in his path and knocked him on his butt._

"_Owwie," Naruto yelped as he hit the ground. He looked up to see three men towering over him. The one he ran into wore the smuggest look ever on his face._

"_Come here you!" the man said snatching Naruto off the ground. Naruto struggled to break free but the man's grasp proved too strong for his little body. Suddenly, a fist flew into Naruto's stomach, halting his movements. Naruto hung there in the man's hand clutching his abdomen, gasping for air._

"_Thanks guys," came a voice in front of Naruto. He raised his head to see then man he bumped into earlier rolling up his sleeves. By now a small crowd had begun to gather._

"_Time to rid the village of this plague once and for all! I do what Sandiame-sama failed to do all those years ago!" he roared. He grasped Naruto by the cuff of his shirt and brought him up to his eye-level._

"_What do you have to say for yourself you little bastard?" the man growled, slamming his fist square into Naruto's face. His little nose broke instantly and his head snapped back violently. Naruto would've been sent flying from the force of the punch but the man's vice-grip kept him in place._

_Naruto shrunk under the man's gaze and shook uncontrollably in fear in the man's hold. "I-I just want my mommy, I wanna go home," Naruto stammered, tears already welling up in his eyes._

"_You want your mommy?," the man laughed. "You here that guys? the almighty demon wants his mommy!" The man laughed, joined by a few others in the now medium sized crowd._

"_You're a demon, you don't have a mommy nor do you deserve one!" _

_That one cut Naruto deeper than anyone could ever imagine. "Please mister, can I go home? I promise I'll be a good boy from now on. I won't cause any more trouble," Naruto begged. Though, he still didn't see why he had to. He never did anything bad yet everybody hates him. Why?_

"_Damn right you won't cause I'm gonna end you right here and now you filthy demon!" the man roared as he began repeatedly smashing his fist into Naruto's face. He swung with all his might, determined to beat the boy to death. _

_The crowd, which now in circled the duo, began cheering the man on and adding fuel to his fire by shouting out obscenities like, "Kill the Demon!", "Teach him what it feels like to be viciously attacked!", and the ever popular, "Avenge the Village!" Motivated by their cries, the man continued his brutal assault on the defenseless five year-old._

"_Daisuke stop this!" a woman yelled from behind him. The man stopped attacks and looked over his shoulder to see his wife standing a few feet behind him, their son hiding behind her, clutching onto her kimono._

"_Kagome don't worry, I'll be finished up here shortly," the man said nonchalantly as he continued to pound on the child in his hands._

"_Daisuke I mean it, put him down now!" his wife screeched._

_The man, Daisuke, delivered one last haymaker to Naruto's chest that sent the small blonde child flying straight into the ground. Naruto lay on the ground in a heap, his face nearly beaten into a pulp and blood flowing out of his ears and nose. Amazingly, somehow he manage to stay conscious. _

_Daisuke turned around to meet his wife's furious gaze with his own stern one. "And why should I?" he shouted._

"_That boy is just a child!" his wife, Kagome, shouted back._

"_That thing is a Demon!" Daisuke yelled over his wife, causing her to flinch at the volume of his voice. At the same time, he kicked Naruto in the head out of frustration, causing him to finally lose consciousness._

_Kagome flinched at seeing Naruto's head violently snap back. "Demon or no demon, he's still just a child!" She said as she made her way over to Naruto's lifeless body and began looking him over, their son following close behind her._

"_Kagome what do you think-"_

"_What if this were Daichi?" Kagome asked, interrupting her husband. "What if this was our little boy? What if everyone went around accusing our son of being a demon every day? Would you beat him within an inch of his life too?" she yelled._

_Daisuke was speechless. He had never seen this side of his wife before. She was usually so calm and humble, but right now she was fierce and angry. And she was being protective of the demon. Last time he checked, she also hated it for killing her killing her sister and her family five years ago._

_Whispers began to slither throughout the crowd as the townsfolk watched the scene before them unfold. Some even opted to step in but figured it best to leave it up to Daisuke. It was his wife after all and he would most likely put her in her place._

_Kagome continued to check over Naruto with shaky fingers. He was out cold, barely breathing, and had broken or bruised bones. Her husband's heavy hands really did a number on his tiny frame. He'd lost an unhealthy amount of blood and would need medical attention immediately._

_Guilt washed over Kagome as looked at Naruto's battered and bruised figure. Even though she never expressed it, she used to hold great animosity toward the boy. Ever since she found out that her sister's family had been killed in the attack, she had hated the demon fox with all her being. But then rumors began circulating that after Demon's death at the hands of the Yondiame, it had been reincarnated as a small child. _

_She had seen Naruto around the town a many times but something was different. Every time she saw him, she never saw a menacing, blood-thirsty, hell-bent on destruction demon. Instead, she saw an innocent little boy who was just helpless, lost, and confused._

_It broke her heart every time she witnessed the villagers twisted since of "justice" they inflicted upon the boy. She couldn't exactly pinpoint when, but see soon came to believe that this boy was not a demon. If he were, he would've slaughtered them all by now for all the times they've hurt him._

"_I would've done what needed to be done," Daisuke's voice rang in her ear, bringing her out of her thoughts. "What?" she asked staring up at him._

"_I said I would've done what I needed to do. Demons aren't welcome here," he said sternly, refusing to make contact with her. Kagome couldn't believe what she was hearing. Her husband just told her that he would kill their child for the sake of the village. This was not the man she fell in love with all those years ago._

_Kagome carefully scooped Naruto's small form into her arms and stood up slowly. "Come on Daichi," she said to her young son._

"_What do you think you're doing?" Daisuke growled._

"_I'm doing what needs to be done! I'm taking him to the hospital since everybody else is too savage and blinded by rage to do so. I'm doing what's right!" Kagome retorted walking away. She took a few steps before stopping in front of a wall of people that seemed to be adamant on not letting her leave, at least not with the demon child._

"_That thing has terrorized this village long enough! It doesn't leave here alive!" Daisuke roared._

"_I beg to differ." _

_Daisuke's whole body went rigid at the sound of a woman's voice in his ear. He never heard any footsteps or the sound of someone approaching from behind. It's like she appeared out of thin air. The crowd was just as shocked at the mystery woman sudden appearance._

_She wore black and grey armor, metal arm guards and gloves, ninja sandals with spikes. There were three ninja pouches strapped to her lower back and a signature spiral tattoo on her shoulder. They immediately recognized her as one of the elite ANBU._

_Daisuke spun on his heels and came face to face with a porcelain cat mask. Long purple hair sat atop her head and reached down to her waist._

"_You do realize that you broke two stringent laws today and, by law I have the authority to kill you where you stand," the ANBU said emotionlessly as she reached for the hilt of her sword._

"_P-Please, h-have mercy! I have a wife and child!," Daisuke said as he dropped to his knees an began groveling like a helpless child._

_The ANBU looked down upon him with disgust and pulled her hand away from her sword. He wasn't even worth it. The ANBU shifted her gaze from the scum of a man before her to his fear-stricken wife. She walked over to Kagome, who stood frozen solid, and began to assess Naruto's wounds._

"_The boy need's medical attention. Please hand him over to me," the ANBU said._

"_I think not," Kagome replied almost immediately, involuntarily pulling Naruto closer. She had heard about how ninja like them were supposed to be watching over the boy and keeping him out of trouble. But every time she had seen him in peril, they were nowhere in sight and sometimes, they just sat by idly and let it happen. She didn't trust them. _

"_Ma'am, this is my job. Please allow me to do it," the ANBU said sternly._

"_Well you sure suck at it! If you had been doing your job, this would've never happened in the first place!"_

_The ANBU flinched backwards. This woman before her stood defiantly, but her shaky limbs betrayed her he confident stature. She wasn't like the other citizens who despised Naruto beyond content. She actually seemed to care._

"_lright," the ANBU sighed. "Please follow me then," She said in a softer tone as she started to walk away. Kagome let out a breath she didn't even know she was holding. She was happy that she got past this without conflict and would safely be able to get the boy to the hospital. "Let's go Daichi," She smiled at her son before walking after the ANBU._

_The crowd shuffled out of the way of the oncoming women, creating a path to get through. Kagome walked in silence behind the ANBU, ignoring the pleas of her of her husband behind her._

* * *

><p>Tsunade watched on in silence as her advisors relive another of Naruto's painful memories. The tears that streamed down her face betrayed her strong, authoritative posture. In the last our alone, with the help of Inoichi and many ANBU, they witnessed countless memories of Naruto's trouble childhood.<p>

After witnessing this particular one, she mentally reminded herself to thank Yūgao Uzuki for watching over him diligently. She was one of the only ones that actually protected him instead letting the villagers push him to the brink of death.

She also wanted to find her this Kagome woman and thank her personally. If only there were more people in the village things may not have played out how they did.

Just then, there was a knock on the door, causing nearly everyone to jump. No one, other than a select few ANBU should know they were here. Tsunade nodded to the guard who in turn nodded back and open the door. A falcon-masked ANBU stepped into the room and saluted.

"Hokage-sama, I have urgent news from Team 10," the ANBU announced, waiting for approval to continue.

"Go on," Tsunade ushered.

"They have just recently returned and through their reconnaissance, they learned that the Akatsuki are indeed within our borders although their motives are unclear. We have ruled out the possibility of searching for jinchūriki since Naruto Uzumaki was the only one residing within Fire Country and his whereabouts are currently unknown," the ANBU explained.

"Understood, I shall meet with Asuma when I finish up here," Tsunade said turning back to the task at hand.

"About that…" The ANBU started, regaining the Hokage's attention.

"Team 10 had an untimely encounter with the Akatsuki members they were tracking. Based on their description and reports from Jiraiya-sama, we believe them to be the Zombie Brothers Hidan and Kakazu. They attempted to capture them but their efforts were in vain and instead they were left with injuries and one casualty."

"What are you saying?" Kurenai nearly yelled, forgetting the task at hand. She cared greatly for Team 10. Asuma was her lover and Shikamaru, Ino, and Chōji were like a second team to her.

"What I'm saying is that Asuma Sarutobi is dead."

* * *

><p><em>Long ago, in a time long before the rise of the Shinobi, the gods roamed the land. Raijin, God of Thunder and Lightning, ruled over the seas and Fuijin, God of Wind, watched over the earth, Amaterasu, the Sun Goddess, brought forth day upon the lands with her light while her brother Tsukuyomi, God of the Moon, cast night upon the land with his dark aura. All the gods watched over us idly from the heavens. Except one.<em>

_Susanoo resided in Yomi, where the souls of the undead were ferried into the afterlife. The lands were safely balanced and kept at peace. That is until one day, Susanoo grew tired of his role. He was tired of staying in the dark and gloomy underworld while his fellow gods were basking away in the world of light. If he couldn't bask enjoy the light, then no one could._

_So Susanoo broke out of Yomi and began a campaign to take over the Heavens and engulf the world in darkness. The other gods banded together to put a stop to his ambitions. Unfortunately, Susanoo had and ace up his sleeve. _

_The dark powers of Yomi are able to weaken the gods. It's the only thing capable of making them mortal. Having spent centuries immersed in the darkness, Susanoo learned to harness that dark power and wield it as his own, bending it to his twisted will. That would've been the turning point in the war had he not counted on the gods having an ace of their own._

_Tsukuyomi was able to use his Aura to negate the effects of Yomi. But he was the only one able to use such magic, thus making him the only one immune. With his powers, he crafted Spirit Beasts, beings capable of harnessing aura, for his brethren so that they too could overcome the weakening effects of Yomi. _

_The war waged by the gods was long and drawn out. The eternal darkness Susanoo called forth from the underworld seemed to be infinite. Eventually, Susanoo was cornered by the gods and brought to his knees, but not without a fight. Tsukuyomi was mortally wounded after jumping in the way of an attack for his sister._

_Knowing he would not live, he vowed to use the last his powers to seal Susanoo away in Yomi forever. With the help of the other gods, Susanoo wash banished to the farthest corner of Yomi, never to see the light of the mortal realm again. He cursed the gods with his final words and vowed that he would return one day and bring them and the mortals to their knees._

* * *

><p>"That's quite a tale," Naruto whistled.<p>

"It is not some folly narrative, it is the history of your heritage," the fox retorted.

"Wait, if Tsukuyomi was the Moon God and he died, then why is there still night time?" Naruto asked.

"Just before Tsukuyomi-sama died, Amaterasu took his remaining power and essence and sealed it within and orb that she keeps with her in the heavens. The orb give off aura energy thus allowing night to be created.

Naruto was still sketchy of this whole tale. The idea of gods battling it out in the human world just seemed so farfetched. Then there was this prophecy that he was somehow linked to. He needed answers.

"Did Susanoo ever try to escape like he said he would?" Naruto asked.

"Yes, he did. 600 years ago, using his dark powers, he conceived a terrifying beast of pure evil and darkness and unleashed it upon the human world. You people know this beast as the Ten-tails. The beast was sent to collect the souls of men and once it had acquired enough, it would use them to break the seal that bound Susanoo to Yomi. But the gods had a plan of their own.

Lady Amaterasu along with Raiden-sama created a being endowed with their power and that of Tsukuyomi-sama to combat the beast. You humans know him as the Sage of Six Paths. The Sage then-"

"Yeah, yeah, I know the story from there. But what does this got to do with me and what is this prophecy?" Naruto interrupted.

"Humans these days…patience is a virtue Naruto-sama," the fox sighed. "The gods knew that Susanoo would try to break free again one day so they planned ahead accordingly, only this time, they would silence him forever. Sure enough, as they expected a group a people emerged to do the dark lord's bidding."

"The Akatsuki," Naruto growled.

"Yes. These Akatsuki are collecting the fragments of Susanoo's beast and attempting to revive it so that in can release its master. That's where you come in. You are the only living direct descendant of Raiden-sama which is why you have inherited his spirit beast."

"You mean Latios?"

"Precisely. War will fall upon these lands, that much in known. It is inevitable. The armies of darkness will walk in the land of mortals again. It is up to you, along with the descendants of Amaterasu and Fuijin to stop to them when they do," the fox explained.

"Wait a minute, you expect me and two other people to take on the endless army of the underworld alone AND strike down a god? That's impossible!" Naruto protested. The story did seem to have some validity to it but even if it were true, he was only one person.

"Yes, the task bestowed upon you will be of great difficulty but only you can accomplish it. But if you follow a list a tasks, you and mankind shall come out victorious,"

"What tasks?" Naruto asked.

"First, you must gain control of the godly power flowing in your veins."

"My lightning chakra?" Naruto asked. This would definitely explain one mystery in his life.

"Yes, only after you have mastered the power bestowed upon you by Raiden-sama can you face your enemies. Second, you must gather allies. The only way to have a chance against the armies of Yomi is to unite all humans under one banner," the fox continued.

"Fat chance, people have been trying to do that for centuries and look where that got us: three great wars. How the hell am I supposed to do that? I'm only a teenager and the only form of proof I got is some old fairytale," Naruto scoffed.

"I admit, it does seem unfathomable but you must succeed. That is why I suggest you you start by reclaiming you kingdom."

"K-Kingdom?" Naruto choked out.

"Yes Naruto-sama, your kingdom. As the last living Namikaze and descendant of Raiden-sama, it is well within your right to reclaim your throne. With one nation behind you, it'll be much easier to convert others to our cause." The fox explained.

"How much time do I have?" Naruto asked.

It's hard to say exactly but we do have an advantage. You hold a piece of the beast inside you Naruto-sama, which means that they will be unable to complete their plans without you. That is why I strongly urge you to return to the place of your forefathers and claim the seat of power. You might be strong Naruto-sama, but you yourself can't take on a whole organization by yourself. There are people there more than willing to protect you."

"How do I find the other descendants and convince them?"

"Do not fret Naruto. You are already quite familiar with one. He will undoubtly be a stubborn one so leave him to me. You shall meet the other when you return to your true home. She shouldn't be that difficult to convince, she is your soul mate after all." The fox chuckled.

"My what?"

The fox's eyes widened as he realized what he said. "Forgive me Naruto-sama, I have said too much," the fox said as he rose to his feet. Naruto was now able to take in its full appearance.

It's fur was predominantly blue and black. It possessed a short, round spike on the back of each forepaw, in addition to a third on its chest. It had cream-colored fur on its torso, and blue fur on its thighs that Naruto thought resembled shorts. It also had four small black appendages on its head. Height wise, it was no taller than Tsuki.

"I now take my leave," the fox said looking up to meet Naruto's cool cerulean eyes with his fiery red ones. Questions were running a million miles a minutes through his brain. Who was the descendant he knew? How was he supposed to master his lightning chakra? Was he really entitled to a kingdom? And what was that about a soul mate?

The fox saw the confusion etched onto his young master's face. "Do not worry yourself too much Naruto-sama, all will be explained in due time, for now I will leave you with a parting gift," the fox said as he approached Naruto and took his hand into his paw. Shock and confusion spread across its face it saw Naruto's palm.

"What is it?" Naruto asked confused.

"I was going to bestow upon you the mark of the Namikaze but it seems you already have it," the fox said pointing to the spiral shape on Naruto's palm.

"Oh that? My old teacher drew that as a way of helping learn a jutsu back when I was twelve," Naruto explained.

"Well this Naruto-sama is indeed the Symbol of the Namikaze clan. This will be the key to reclaiming you kingdom," the fox said.

"Well since you already have this I shall give you something else. If you don't mind Naruto-sama," the fox said motioning him down to its level. Naruto crouched down and the fox closed its eyes as it placed one paw upon his forehead.

Naruto watched in curiosity as the fox's body began to glow and the appendages on its head began to rise. Suddenly, the bluish-purple fire Naruto had seen earlier encased the fox's hand. He nearly jerked away in fear of having his face burned but stopped when he realized it didn't hurt. The fire wasn't hot at all. Naruto felt this weird feeling shoot through his body and the fox pulled his hand away shortly after.

"What did you do to me?" Naruto asked standing back up. Something felt strange but he couldn't quite put his finger on it. he did however notice that the mark on his right hand was now glowing a faintish purple color.

"I have unlocked some of your dormant power. You can now use the Aura left behind by Tsukuyomi-sama. Now I must go," The fox said turning and walking away.

"Wait where do I begin? You're kinda throwing me to the wolves," Naruto asked.

"Nowhere for now. you can continue with your previous duties. You aren't completely ready to embark yet. We can't very well start without Latios and Tsuki-sama. I will return in the near future. Until then Naruto-sama," And with that, the fox was engulfed in the Purple flames as it disappeared from sight.

Naruto just stood there and continued to stare at the spot where the fox had just been, "Man, it sure was fun humoring my dreams. I gotta have Kabuto make me some new medicine cause the stuff I got right now sure isn't working," Naruto sighed, shaking his head.

* * *

><p>And the mysterious fox (which no one has ever mentioned once) makes it's return. He's still nameless (to Naruto that is) but if you can't figure out who he is...<p>

AS for the whole memory thing, It didn't turn out as dark as I wanted it to be but I'm sticking with it. Also it's only one of many that they saw so there were more, just unwritten.

And now you guys know of the prophecy. I did some research and used Actual Shinto gods and tried to make it as accurate as possible It was kinda hard for me to write but the more I did, the more Ideas that came to me. It all makes since to me in my head and hopefully it will to you guys.

Last thing I want to mention before I go is the spirit beast. I think my story might become a crossover cause they're gonna be pokemon like Latios (and I don't give a damn if any of you disagree). I'm only gonna use like six total and the others won't make an appearance until much later. Don't like it? Bite me.

As always, R + R (AND NOT TWO-WORDED ONES!) and drop an idea or two. If it's not to controversial I just might use it. White Chidori signing off.


	9. More Revelations

Hits: 12,365

Favs: 133

Alerts: 103

Well I'm back again with another chapter! Woot!

I'm actually kinda disappointed with the feedback from last chapter. there was only 680 hits and three reviews. All the other chaps broke +1000 hits and +10 reviews. I feel like no one read. I hope that changes with this chapter. I've been sick for awhile and it's been an absolute chore trying to sit at the computer long enough to write it so you better read (and like) it!

Also, my new profile pics is a sketch of Naruto and Tsuki that I can up with one night when I was bored. I'm probably going to just set up a deviantart account and post any drawing for the story that I come up with.

Only like two or three more chapters until I start the original storyline and things begin to really take off. But until then, here's...

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter IX: More Revelations<strong>

Naruto found himself in a dark room when he regained consciousness. He was facing a wall and judging from the light behind him, someone had lit a fire. He heard shuffling and the crackling of the fire and assumed his captor was close by.

Whoever they were, they weren't very smart. His arms and legs weren't bound nor did he feel any kind of suppression seals on his body. They also neglected to take away his sword or any other of his equipment.

Naruto noticed that a shadow on the wall, which he presumed to be that of his captor, was growing in size. They must be coming over to check on him. This was his chance. He would take them down, find Sasuke, and escape. Shouldn't be too hard seeing as he still had all his gear and, presumably, Sasuke did too.

Feeling a presence right behind him, Naruto put his plan into action. In one swift, sudden movement, Naruto grabbed his sword and shot up, catching the person by surprise. He pinned them to the ground and pressed the cold metal of his blade against their throat. He nearly lopped off their head right then and there, but he stopped himself.

His so called captor was a young girl no older than him. She was shaking in fear as she stared up into his piercing blue orbs with her own chocolate ones.

It was strange to him. He'd never seen a kunoichi that scared before. They usually hid it as best they could and tried to act defiant, but she just openly displayed her emotions clear as day. Then it hit him. _'She's a civilian!,' _Naruto said to himself. That would explain why he didn't feel her giving off any chakra. Those not trained in the shinobi arts didn't know how to access their chakra and therefore it lay dormant.

Seeing the ever growing fear of death growing in her eye, Naruto eased himself off of her and sheathed his sword. "Sorry about that, I thought you might have been an enemy," He apologized in a soft voice.

The girl sat up and backed away from Naruto, staring at him with fearful eyes. He could understand, after all, he did try to just decapitate her not ten seconds ago. He was glad he didn't. he saved himself from suffering from guilty conscious later. Hurting women just didn't sit right with him.

I was just this unspoken rule of morals he always followed. Most people might see it as a weakness but he just couldn't help it. Maybe it was because Tsunade had drilled it into him that one time. She explained how it was only ok if the situation was unavoidable, as in a enemy trying to kill him. Anything other than that made a man scum.

It be a cold day in hell before he let someone hurt him though, female or not. There were plenty of ways to subdue a woman, and thanks to that lesson he had with Guren, he knew quite a few.

"Hey…" the girl began suddenly, breaking him away from the thoughts. He looked up from the fire towards her direction.

"You're that boy from the dango shop!" she proclaimed.

Naruto was left puzzled. "I beg your pardon?"

"Two months ago, in Suna. You're the boy who caught me when I fell that time," she explained. She wasn't certain at first, but after looking over his features a couple times, she was sure. She never forgot the face of a cute boy. He had the same strange, but cute whiskers, cool cerulean eyes, and even though wore a hood last time, she was able to recognize his spiky blonde locks. Though now he had bangs that reached down to his chin and she didn't remember seeing those.

Naruto was as confused as ever. He sifted through his memories of his time in Suna and tried to place her in one. It took him amount but he was able to put her face with that of the bubbly, brunette waitress that he ran into.

Only now, she wasn't in a waitress outfit. She wore a dark navy blouse and matching pants that went down to her calves. Her silky brown hair was put in a single ponytail. But something confused him: What the hell was she doing all the way out in Fire Country?

"Hn, looked who decided to wake up," came a voice to Naruto's right. He looked over to see Sasuke entering the room.

"And the jerk returns," the girl grumbled to herself. This guy really rubbed her the wrong way. She had been as nice and friendly as possible but he just kept brushing her aside as if he were superior to her.

"How long was I out?" Naruto asked.

"Well, you were out for five days while your _friend_ was only out for three," the girl explained.

"Where are we?"

"Inside the temple," Sasuke answered this time. He pulled out a scrolled and tossed it to Naruto. "Mission accomplished."

Naruto looked over the scroll thrown to him. This was indeed the one described in the mission scroll. But there was still one thing he was stumped on. "What happened? How'd we get here?" he asked.

"Well," the girl began, "I was just passing by when you two appeared out of nowhere kicking up all kinds of dirt and debris. I hid behind a pillar when it looked like you two were about to kill each other but you both passed out instead. I couldn't very well leave you there so I drug you both inside the temple and you've been sleep ever since," she explained.

Well that explains that. He was thankful that they weren't captured and wouldn't have to waste time and energy trying to escape. "Well, thank you…" he paused. He never did ask her name.

"Yumiko, Yumiko Yoshida," the girl said answering his unasked question.

"Thank you, Yumiko. My name is Naruto Uzumaki and the jackass over there is Sasuke Uchiha," Naruto told her. He didn't see any harm in telling her their names. She had cared for them when they couldn't so she at least deserved that.

"So that's your name," Yumiko said casting a glance at Sasuke. He had been adamant about not telling her earlier. She honestly didn't see what the big deal was. The boy was definitely one of those strong, silent types and he was definitely handsome, though she would never say it aloud.

His silence did intrigue her though. His onyx eyes burned with such intensity, yet if you looked hard enough, there was a hint of sadness. It was very subtle and you wouldn't notice if you didn't look hard enough. _'Just who is he? What's his story?'_

"Yumiko-san,"

Yumiko shook her head free of thoughts as she turned to Naruto who called her. "Hm?"

"Why did you help us? Why not just leave us for dead? Don't we scare you?" Naruto asked her. It had been on his mind for a while. Surely she had seen their demonic sides yet she still aided them.

"Like I said, I couldn't very well leave you lying in the middle of nowhere. I was raised better than that. Besides I've seen of shinobi fights back in Suna. I know that you guys are pretty harmless when you're unconscious,"

Naruto was slightly taken aback by her response. If only there were more people like her in the world. It then occurred to him that their transformations must've dropped before she had seen them and she just thought them to be two regular people. Or as regular shinobi he should say, at least as regular as it gets.

The smell of food wafted past Naruto's nose and his stomach groaned in retaliation. He hadn't realized just how hungry he was until now.

"Oh my god the food!" Yumiko exclaimed as she shot towards the fire. She had forgotten all about it and she probably would've let it sit there way too long had she not heard Naruto's stomach growl.

She slipped on a pair of mitts that were nearby and lifted a metal pot out of the flames. She then took a wooden spoon as she lifted the top of the pot and began to stir its content. "Phew, that was a close one," Yumiko sighed in relief.

When she lifted up the top, a smell which Naruto was all too familiar with graced his nostrils. "T-That wouldn't happen to be-"

"Red Bean Soup? Sure is. It's my favorite!" Yumiko smiled. Naruto's (allegedly) unhealthy craving for ramen still stuck with him but he would take red bean soup any day of the week. It was the only sufficient replacement for ramen in his eyes.

"Well dinner is served boys," Yumiko said, filling up a bowl and passing it to Naruto, who accepted graciously. "Thank you Yumiko-san."

"You are very welcome Naruto," Yumiko smiled at him. She was astounded at his politeness. Most shinobi she had seen were pigs. She filled up another bowl and held it out to Sasuke. The raven-haired boy cast her one of those looks as he was looking down on her before stepping forward to accept.

However, Right before he could take the bowl in in his hand it was pulled back out of his reach. Confusion spread across his face for a short moment before irritation washed over and he shot a glare in the brunette girl's direction. Yumiko made his gaze evenly with a scowl of her own.

"Well, are you going to give it to me or not?" Sasuke asked, clearly irritated.

"I don't know, are you done walking around with this superiority complex of yours? Because it's starting to get old," Yumiko shot back.

Naruto was sitting by idly watching the two as he ate and nearly choked on his food in shock and amusement. No girl, other than Tsuki, had ever stood to Sasuke or called him out like that. They usually just melted under his gaze and fawned all over him. But not Yumiko. Naruto shifted in his seat to make himself more comfortable and held his bowl close, watching intently. This was not an everyday occurrence.

"Just give me the damn food," Sasuke growled.

"I don't think I will. Not until you stop acting like a grumpy old man!" Yumiko retorted, eliciting a snicker from Naruto.

"Do you know who I am?" Sasuke asked dangerously.

"Do you really think I care?" Yumiko answered.

Sasuke was dumfounded. Just who did this girl think she was, talking to him, an Uchiha elite, as if he were some child? It was completely preposterous! "I am an Uchiha you peasant woman, elite among the elite! You'd show some respect if you knew what was good for you!" Sasuke growled.

Naruto sighed at his friend. _'There he goes again with his "Uchiha this" and "Elite that" spiel.'_

"Well then, if you're so elite then go find your own food Mr._Uchiha._ You can't play nice, then you don't get any. Me and Naruto would be happy to eat it all ourselves. And I'll have you know respect is earned, not given!" Yumiko shot back.

Both Naruto and Sasuke stared at the girl in complete shock. For an ordinary civilian girls, she sure had some brass ones (figuratively speaking) to be talking to a ninja, and Sasuke none the less, like that.

"To hell with this, I'm going to train," Sasuke snorted and left the room, oblivious to Yumiko lighting the Uchiha clan symbol on his shirt ablaze with her gaze.

"Geez what a jerk!" Yumiko huffed as she turned back around and began eating. Boy, did he rub her the wrong way.

"Don't worry about Sasuke, he's always like that. He can't help himself," Naruto said after finishing another spoonful of soup.

"Well that doesn't make it ok! His parents should've taught him better," Yumiko ranted.

Naruto immediately stopped eating and his features went sullen, which didn't go unnoticed by Yumiko. "That's the thing…he doesn't have any. When he was younger, they, along with his whole clan, were slaughtered," Naruto said staring down at his bowl.

"Oh." It was the only thing she could think to say at the moment. "I'm…I'm sorry, I didn't know," she muttered.

"It's ok. He doesn't like to talk about it much and it impacted him greatly. It the whole reason behind his cold demeanor. But once you get to know him, he begins to open up more. My little sister really knows how to get him going," Naruto laughed lightly at that last part.

Yumiko smiled a little too and made a mental reminder to apologize to Sasuke later. Of course, that was only if she got one in return. But for now, it was time for a change of subject. She was interested in learning more about her new acquaintance.

"So Naruto you have a little sister?"

"Yea she's eight. Her name's Tsuki and she quite the ball of energy."

"Aww she sounds adorable!" Yumiko cooed.

"Yea, when she's not being a menace to society. She's always causing trouble and pranking people, especially Sasuke. It doesn't help that she's a promising shinobi either." Naruto grumbled.

Yumiko couldn't help but snicker at the thought of the uptight Uchiha being terrorized by a little girl. "She's sounds like quite the handful. So she's a ninja like you?" she asked.

"Not quite, but she's getting there. She might not be able to take on other ninja yet other than lowly genin but I positive that she could take down a group of bandits by herself. She reminds me a lot of myself when I was younger. No patience whatsoever and always eager to learn something new," Naruto explained.

"Oh I see…that sounds like such a dangerous lifestyle for a girl so young," Yumiko said concerned for the young girls safety.

"you're right it is but it's a dangerous world we live in. I'm all she's got and ninja aren't always promised to wake up the next day. I don't want to think of what'll happen to her if something ever happened to me. At least this way, she'll be prepared; she'll be able to defend herself," Naruto said in a serious tone.

Yumiko understood what he was saying, and he was right. The life of a ninja is always hanging in the balance. She had seen many regular customers, who happened to be ninja, back in Suna stop showing up suddenly only to find out they died on a mission. These really were dangerous times they lived in.

"But until that happens, she's can always count on big brother Naruto," He grinned pointing to himself. He felt strange being around this girl. She brought out this side of him that he thought only Tsuki could. "But enough about me, tell me about you. What are you doing all the way out here in Fire Country?

"Well, everything was going great for me in Suna. My job, my friends, everything was perfect. But then…my grandfather passed away. He had a rare lung disease that we thought was treated on gone forever. Turns out we were wrong. It came back not too long ago and the treatment from last time failed. He passed away last month," Yumiko said with a downcast look.

"I'm sorry for your loss," Naruto said sincerely.

"It's ok. He lived a long and happy life so I'm glad for him. His death did put me into a slump for a while though. I became distant and stopped showing up for work, eventually getting fired. So one day, I just decided to pack up and go. My grandfather was my last living relative and with no other major ties to Suna, I decided to leave. It was always my grandfather's dream to go out and explore the world, but since he passed away before he got the chance, I'm going to live out his dream for him. Now I'm just a drifting wanderer, passing from town to town,"

Naruto whistled. That sounded like quite the lifestyle. "Wait, what you do for money?" he asked curiously.

"In my grandfather's will, he left all his life-savings to me. I combined it with mine and I was left with over 60 million ryo," Yumiko answered. She giggled at seeing the blonde's reaction. His eyes widened to the point that they threatened to fall out of his skull.

"W-Where do you keep it all?" Naruto asked in disbelief.

"Oh in a special scroll grandpa left me. He taught me how to use chakra to unseal it but that's about all I can do," She explained giggling.

"Aren't you worried someone might steal it?"

"Not really, I'm not the type to go around flaunting my money. I only by necessities and sometimes give money to those in need. And I have two other empty scrolls exactly identical to the real one and only I can tell the difference."

Naruto was still in shock. This girl was well endowed yet she was out here in the wilderness like she wasn't. He didn't have more time to ponder it as he heard the sound of footstep and looked up to see Sasuke entering the room. Yumiko saw him too and watched him with a hardened look.

Sasuke approached the brunette but looked anywhere but at her. "C…I..ha..so…oup?" he mumbled.

Yumiko shot him a weird look before realizing what he was trying to say. "What was that? I can't understand mumbling," she smirked.

Sasuke glared down at her. "I said…ca…I hav…som…oup?" he growled through clenched teeth.

"Come on Sasuke, use your big boy voice," she teased him.

"CAN I HAVE SOME DAMN SOUP?"

"You forgot to say please," she shook a disapproving finger in his face.

This girl was really trying his patience. "Please?" Sasuke ground out.

"Why of course you can!" Yumiko exclaimed filling up a bowl and handing it to him. Sasuke snatched it away and stalked off to another part of the room far away from the duo and sat alone.

"Well he did snatch and didn't say thank you but he at least said please. One step at a time," Yumiko said sharing a light laugh with Naruto.

* * *

><p>A few days passed and Naruto and Sasuke decided to set out and return back home. Naruto agreed (or more like insisted) on Yumiko traveling with them. She said she was headed for the Land of Hot water which neighbored Sound. Escorting her there was the least they could do after what she did for them.<p>

Yumiko was apprehensive at first but finally agreed after Naruto brought up a good point about bandits and rogue ninja. Sasuke openly disagreed but settled for a yes because he didn't like to be indebted to someone.

So now they were all traveling northeast through Fire Country. They were walking through what looked like an old battlefield. Naruto took note of the irregular rock formations and a few rusted headbands buried in the ground. _'This must be the aftermath of a battle from the Third Shinobi World War,'_ He thought to himself.

From what he could see, Iwa was an obvious contender in the battle but he couldn't tell who the opposition was. Whoever it was, they utterly destroyed Iwa judging from the number of rock headbands left lying around.

A surprised yelp brought him from his thoughts and back to reality. He glanced over to see Yumiko falling face first toward the ground. Sasuke was closest to her and seemed to be set on letting her fall until he sudden grasped the back of her brown cloak, stopping her fall mere inches from the ground.

Naruto look at his friend curiously before he finally saw what Sasuke was looking at. Planted in the ground where Yumiko would've landed was a kunai with its business end pointed skyward. Yumiko gulped nervously when she saw the weapon that almost pierced her jugular. With a strong yank, Sasuke hoisted her back to her feet.

"T-Thanks you," She stammered, still shaken up by the situation.

"Hn" was the only reply she got out of the boy.

"Hey the least you could do is say "Your welcome"!" the smaller girl ranted, to which Sasuke tried to ignore her.

Naruto, on the other hand, was studying the kunai. Based on the appearance it was obviously custom made. It was three-pronged and slightly bigger than an average kunai. It seemed vaguely familiar.

Naruto's gaze shifted from observing the kunai and screening his surroundings. Using his knowledge and evidence around him, he was able to put two and two together in a shocking realization. _'This belongs to the Fourth Hokage.'_

The weapon in question was indeed his father's. He remembered reading about it back in Konoha when he was younger. The book had said it was the only weapon he carried with him into battle, though no one knew their purpose. What made them so different from regular kunai?

Naruto grabbed the kunai and pulled it from its resting place in the ground. He immediately took notice of the difference in weight. They were a little heavier than normal. He thumbed it over in his hands examining it further. The blade was jagged and rusted and the handle has a little worn, but other than that, it was a fine weapon.

Naruto stopped when came across a strange seal that read "marker". He examined it curiously and touched the markings. The seal began to flash and glow a bright, golden color. All of a sudden, Naruto felt as if electricity was racing throughout his body, coursing through his very veins.

His muscles tensed up, he was beginning to lose feeling all over his body, and everything was starting to go dark. 'Damn it not again,' was Naruto's last conscious thought before he slipped into the dark embrace of abeyance.

* * *

><p>Naruto awoke to once again find himself in his subconscious. Only something was off this time. It wasn't the usually, dank, dark flooded sewer. He was surrounded by white all around, not one trace of the fox or a drop of water in sight. Just a big white void of nothingness.<p>

"What the hell is going on now?" Naruto shouted in frustration.

"Naru-"

The unknown assailant never got the chance to finish before he was staring at the business end of Naruto's sword, who was sick of the intruders getting into his mind lately. When Naruto finally got a good look at the man before him his eyes widened.

Before him stood a blonde-haired man with hair similar to his own. He wore a long, short-sleeved white cloak that reached down to his calves with flames along the base. Beneath the cloak he wore a standard Konoha shinobi uniform complete with chūnin flak jacket. He gave Naruto a sheepish grin while scratching the back of his head.

"Well this was unexpected. I hadn't planned on-" He was cut short again but this time from dodging a sword strike aimed at his neck. He backpedalled a few steps and Naruto chased after him.

"Naruto wait! Calm down!" the man tried to reason with the younger blonde but to no avail. Naruto just continued to lash out, intent on severing the man in any way possible. His blind rage-filled assault left his form sloppy and susceptible to counterattack. The man took notice of the of this and moved in.

After ducking under another slash aimed at his head, he shot forward and grasped the wrist of Naruto's sword hand and twisted it, making the boy drop it. After being disarmed, Naruto took his free hand and sent a haymaker at the man's face. The man dodged it swiftly and swung around to Naruto's backside whilst still holding his arm. Before Naruto could react again, the man looped his arm under Naruto's armpit and brought it behind the boy's head, effectively subduing him.

"Naruto, you need to calm down. Let's talk this out," The man said trying to hold the younger blonde steady. Naruto thrashed widely in an attempt to escape but the man's grip remained firm. Naruto sighed deeply and calmed himself down. He was powerless to escape. The man seeing the halt in Naruto's movement took it as a sign that the boy was ready to be civil and released him.

Naruto stumbled forward a step before catching himself. He picked his sword up off the ground and place it back in its scabbard before turning to face the man, glaring at him with icy blue eyes. "What are you doing here…_Dad_?"

Minato laughed nervously standing before his son. It was obvious by his first reaction that he held resentment toward him. Before he could even respond, he heard a series of rapid, light footstep and tensed up.

"MINATO!" a woman's voice roared. Almost immediately after, a small fist slammed into the top of Naruto's head and he was sent to the ground hard. Naruto was dazed and confused as he tried figure out what just happened. As he lay on the ground holding the afflicted area of his head, he looked up to see the red-haired banshee that struck him. Sakura had nothing on this woman's strength.

Kushina stood over the prone form of her "husband" glaring daggers at him. She hadn't seen him since the night of Naruto's birth. She had spent the last sixteen secluded as she watched her son grow up. She was livid at what the village did to him and wanted to show her "beloved" what she thought of his "saving the village plan."

"Have you seen what they did to my little Naru-chan! Is this the bright idea that-" She stopped her rant, noticing something was off. First off, there were _two_ Minatos, which didn't add up. The one squirming on the ground was smaller and younger looking while the one standing before her was older and looked just like she last remembered seeing him. He was also sweating bullets.

"H-Hey Kushina-chan," Minato stammered, waving sheepishly.

Kushina shifted her gaze between her husband and he boy on the ground and her eyes widened in realization. She dropped to her knees and scooped the boy into her arms and held him tightly.

"Oh my god, I'm so sorry Naru-chan! You just look much like your father!" she apologized, stroking his head lovingly. She couldn't believe it. She was actually holding her son! Tears of joy as she rocked him softly, basking in the moment.

Naruto, on the other hand, was even more confused._ 'Who the hell is this lady and why did she call me "Naru-chan"?'_ he grumbled to himself.

"Uhh Kushina-chan, I think you-"

"YOU!" she barked at the older man. Minato cowered in fear as his wife sent him the most intense death glare ever. It was enough to petrify the lord of Hell himself. Before he could even think of escaping, she leapt at him and latched onto him collar. She drove her fist straight down on top of his skull with a sickening crack.

"Do you see what you did? Your big plan to save the village and make Naruto a hero backfired! All they did was…"

Naruto watched on as the woman loomed over his father and chastised him. just who was this woman to make his father, the legendary Yellow Flash of Konoha and esteemed Fourth Hokage, cower in fear like that._ 'Wow dad sure was a wuss. I'd understand if that were his wi...wait a minute. she couldn't be could she?'_ He looked between her and his father as he finally put it altogether. His eyes widened at the sudden epiphany. She was the one thing he had always wanted as a child.

"And another thing, who said-"

"M-Mom?" Naruto asked in a shaky voice. Kushina turned around to meet the pleading eyes of her son. She blushed at the thought of being called "mom". She had psyched herself up for it before Naruto was born but it just seemed different now that he was actually in front of her. She smiled nervously at him while scratching the back of her head, just like his father.

"Heheh yep that's me. I'm sorry for-" She never finished her sentence as she was brought into a sudden and tearful embrace by her son. "M-Mom, it's really you…after all this time…I knew I had one," Naruto sobbed.

"Of course you have a mother Naruto. You didn't just appear out of thin air," Kushina said softly, returning his embrace. Every intelligible thought left Naruto's head as he held onto his mother. Her touch made him forget all his worries seemed to warm his very soul. He had never had the pleasure before of knowing a mother's love and he wanted the feeling to last. It all seemed too real but he could care less. He was going to bask in the moment as long as he could. Unfortunately, it didn't last long as he felt his father approaching. He stepped away from his mother and glared daggers at the blonde man.

Minato, unfazed by his son's gaze, looked at him with serious eyes. "Naruto, I know you must hate me, and for that I can understand, but believe me when I say there were reasons behind my actions."

"Reasons? What possible reasons could you have for sealing a demon inside your own son? What could possibly justify you abandoning your own child and condemning him to a life of hatred and contempt?" Naruto barked, eyes threatening to tear up. He couldn't help but feel betrayed by his father when he thought of that day.

"Naruto…listen to your father please. As much as I hate to admit it, there was no other way," Kushina said softly, placing a comforting hand on his shoulder.. She too was on the verge of crying. It broke her heart many times over to see her child so hurt.

Naruto turned to his mother with a distraught look written all over his face. Not only his father, but his mother too? Could he even call them his parents?

Seeing the look a betrayal evident on his son's features, Minato decided it was best to explain it to him. "Naruto, it's along story but I'm going to explain myself here and now. You see it all began on the night of your birth sixteen years ago…"

* * *

><p>"What happened to him?" Yumiko asked Sasuke, who carried Naruto's comatose body over his shoulder. She had been worried ever since the boy just up and passed out.<p>

"Hell if I know," Sasuke shrugged. He wasn't sure what happened but he figure it had something to do with the fox. It had happened a few times back when they were still training. Naruto would most likely wake up in a few minutes and if he didn't, then he would be concerned.

"Will he be alright? Do you even care?" Yumiko asked him, earning no response.

"Hellooo? I asked you a question," She waved her hand in front of his face.

"I noticed and I respectfully ignored it," Sasuke said tonelessly.

Yumiko scowled at the taller boy. If she weren't so worried for Naruto's well-being she would've cut her losses and left by now, rather than dealing with this jerk. Sasuke, on a similar note, had only kept himself from silencing the girl because he didn't want to have to deal with Naruto. He didn't want to have to explain why the girl went missing suddenly when he awoke.

So for now, they both walked sided, by side, merely tolerating each other. Their minds ran on the same track as they walked on.

'_Stupid Jerk'_

'_Troublesome girl'_

* * *

><p>"Wait, let me get this straight: mom was the Nine-Tails' jinchūriki before me, a masked man ripped it from her body and unleashed it on Konoha, and dad defeated him and then sealed the beast in me?" Naruto asked. It sure was a lot of information to take in and it seemed rather sketchy to him.<p>

"That's exactly what happened. He was after the Nine-Tails and the rest of the tailed beast. If I had to guess he might have something to do with the prophecy which would mea-"

"Wait prophecy? You know of it? It's real?" Naruto interrupted. He had written the whole interaction with the fox off as a weird dream caused by bad ramen or something. But now his father stood before him speaking of it.

"Yes Naruto I do and it very real. Susanoo will break free one day and I believe this man is the one who will break his chains. It'll be up to you to stop him," Minato said.

"But why me? Why didn't you just kill him when you had the chance?"

"Sometimes things don't go as planned. I had a duty to uphold. I had to save the village." Minato said sorrowfully.

"Then why did you do it? Why'd you put the Nine-Tails in me huh? Tell me that!" Naruto barked.

"There are a few actually. See, without the First Hokage's Wood-Style ninjutsu, tailed beasts are virtually impossible to control. But somehow this man was able to do so. He had a Sharingan so I hypothesize that he might be an Uchiha, thus meaning he has the blood of the gods running through his veins," Minato explained. He saw Naruto's head nod in understanding and continued.

"Without a host, a tailed beast will continue to rampage and roam free. Your mother was the last host and she opted to have the beast sealed within her so that it would die along with her." He held up a hand to Kushina to prevent her from interrupting and continued.

"That sounds like the most logical idea but it's not. When a tailed beast dies with its host, it reincarnates. The process takes quite some time but the beast will eventually return. Naruto with your mother on the verge of death, and my life being taken away as a result of the sealing, you were the only choice. The beast must be sealed while the host is still young. I know it sounds immoral to sacrifice your own child but how could I asked someone of the village that I wasn't willing to do myself?"

Naruto understood what he was saying. He didn't like it or agree with it, but he at least understood. It just as much of a burden on his father as it was on him.

"Naruto I'm assuming you know the prophecy right?" Minato asked.

"Yeah."

"Then you know that in order for it to be fulfilled, they need all ten tailed beasts. With the Nine-Tails sealed within you, that makes it even harder. You are the last of the Namikaze. Raiden-sama's blood flows within your veins. It is that power that helps keep the Nine-Tails at bay."

Minato walked up to his son and place a firm hand on his shoulder. "You are strong now and I have no doubt in your ability to defend yourself." Naruto smirked at the praise. "But…" and there goes his ego boost. "You must become stronger you can't do that on your own. Raiden-sama's spirit beast awoke for you, a feat that even I couldn't accomplish. This proves that _you_ are the one. _You_ must stop the armies of darkness; _you _must defeat Susanoo_; you _must save the world_,"_

"But I'm only one man!" Naruto argued.

"True, which is why you must seek help. The other two destined ones you will meet along the way and with your power combined, you can put a stop to the uprising."

Naruto was just now beginning to understand exactly how heavy of a responsibility was being placed on him. The fate of mankind rested on his shoulders and if he didn't act, they would all be doomed. His own father has just told that to him so there had to be some truth behind it. Which was another thing he didn't understand…

"Wait, if you died, then how are you and mom hear now? how do I know this all isn't just a dream?" Naruto asked.

"When did the sealing, I placed the last of my chakra and your mother's inside you. My chakra would arise should you ever sprout an eight tail and repair it. Kushina-chan's chakra would come forth whenever you attempted to control the Nine-tails and aid you." Minato explained.

"But our chakra was called upon prematurely and we've used it all standing here talking to you. Something must have happened to trigger our chakra but I don't know what. What were you doing before you came here Naruto?" Minato queried.

"Well I was walking through an old battleground from the Third Shinobi World War. I was making my way home when I found one of your weird kunai," Naruto said.

"One of my kunai?" Minato asked confused.

"Yea the three-pronged one. I picked it up and when I touched the seal, it began to glow. My whole body stopped moving and I passed out and woke up here,"

Minato mentally slapped himself in the forehead. He had a good idea of what happened. He really should've done a better job of not leaving those things around while he was still alive. "I think I know what happened. Some chakra must've been left within the kunai from the last time I used it and I most likely resonated with my chakra that was sealed within you."

"Wait so then why is mom here too?"

"Since I did the sealing, her chakra is bound to mine so when mine was called forth expectantly, hers was too."

Minato looked at his hand and saw he was beginning to fade. He glanced over to his wife to see that she was doing the same thing. They had very little time left. "Naruto, our time is nearly. I wasn't able to do much for you in the real world but I leave you this gift," Minato said going through a few hands signs.

He placed his hand onto of Naruto's head and it began to glow in a golden aura. When the glow subsided, he took his hand away and gave Naruto a soft smile.

"What did you do to me?" Naruto asked. A strange feeling washed over his body.

"I've unlocked your lightning release for you. Usually it remains dormant until you are deemed worthy to use it. I've also instilled the knowledge of the _**Flying Thunder God Technique**_ upon you. This jutsu was a gift from Raiden-sama himself and has been passed down through our clan for generations. You now have the understanding to use it but I advise you to practice with it before testing it in actual combat," Minato explained to his son. this was the least he could do to right the wrongs of the past. He stepped away and left his wife have her last words. Kushina stepped forward and took her son's hands in her own.

"Naruto…you've experienced a lot of pain and suffering. I'm sorry we weren't there to protect and look after you. And despite how the village treated you, you stayed. You did your best to prove them wrong. It broke my heart to see you finally lose hope and give up. But you didn't give up on life. You kept growing stronger and stronger into the fine young man I see before me today. If I had any regrets…It would be that I didn't get to raise you like a mother should." By now, she was sobbing her words out.

"There's…there's so much more that I want to say…to teach you…I want to stay with you…I love you. And it hurts deep inside knowing that I can't. I know you must think we're bad parents and I would understand if you hated us, but know this: We love you deeply from the bottom of our hearts. Thank you for letting me be your mother and for letting Minato be your father. Thank you for being our son. Thank you…Thank you!"

Kushina finally caved is as she slumped into her son's arms and held him tightly, crying her eyes out. Naruto returned her embrace graciously. He couldn't hate his mother. His father was still a little iffy though. I might take some time to fully love him, but he at least respected the man.

Minato walked up to them and took them both in his arms, bringing them together as a family for the first time. "Naruto…I can't think of anything to say beyond I'm sorry. So I second everything your chatty mother says," he said softly, ignoring the elbow to the ribs courtesy of his wife.

As they stood there as a family, Minato and Kushina felt themselves finally begin to fade away. Kushina held on tighter, trying to milk every last drop of comfort before she left for the afterlife. Minato also held on tighter. This would be the last he saw of his family before he was sent back to the drunken wasteland that was the belly of the Shinigami.

Naruto basked in the warmth of his parents as he felt them disappear. He might not ever get to experience this in the real world or ever again for that matter. He felt less and less warmth as his parents evaporated. He was nearly alone when he heard they're final words.

"We love you Naruto," His mother's soft voice rang in his ear.

"Make us proud son," said his father.

A gentle wind seemed to sweep through the area, carrying them away to their respective realms of the afterlife. And with that, Naruto was alone. His looked toward the sky, eyes still closed as he remembered the warmth he felt during their final embrace.

'_I love you too mom. And dad…I respect you. I'll make you guys proud. That's the promise of a lifetime,'_

* * *

><p>And another chapter come to a close! Bet you guys never seen a "Naruto meets his parents" moment like that before! (well maybe you have but I know I haven't). Sometthing I should note before someone gets in my face about it and I have to call my Chinese mafia: Naruto only has the knowledge of how to do the Hiraishin. It doesn't mean that he can yet. I'm not gonna make him learn a S-rank technique and then make him spam the hell out of it. I already feel like some of you think my Naruto is overpowered.<p>

Also I want to know what you guys think of my other OC. She's important to the story later on and will probably be the last major OC for awhile (every one I make has a higher purpose). Any others will will most likely just be villains.

I'm actually excited to start writing next chapter. It'll be the first _major_ battle in the story and it'll be a true test to my abilities. I've been thinking about how this fight will go and literally hundreds of ideas have come to mind. You have no idea of the number of combos I've come up for Naruto and Sasuke! I should stop now before I end up spoiling it...

Anyway, this chapter might take me the longest out of the all cause i'm not sure exactly how it'll go (I know the outcome, just not the fight itself). I'll try to have it out as soon as I can, which will most likely be two weeks at the longest. Any longer than that, and I give you guys permission to start sending me death threats. (not that you'll find me anyway :P)

Til then, Chinese mafia says R + R. Or else... (-.(-.(-.(-.(-.-).-).-).-).-)

**P.S:** Two things : First, I'm looking for some good COMPLETE (as in the story is finished) fic to read, preferably where Naruto is the main char. I don't care about the pairing just as long as it's believable and not off the wall. Help me out?

Secondly, when I update a chapter that's already out, do you guys get alerts or no? I'd really like to know

**P.P.S: **Chapter 10 is currently in production and I was feeling generous so I decided to give you guys a little sneak peak:

_'So this is it huh? I'm sorry Asuma-sensei, I failed. Guess I'll be seeing you soon,' Those were Shikamaru's last thoughts as he closed his eyes and waited for the inevitable. But it never came._

_At the last second, a red sword came flying out of nowhere and struck Hidan in the chest, stopping his assault. "What the hell?" he yelled. Shikamaru opened his eyes confused to see an equally bewildered Hidan._

_Before he knew what happened, a blonde flashed into existence grasping onto the sword. Hidan could only watch as the boy drove his heel into his face, sending him careening across the battlefield and nearly slamming into his partner._

_"Damn it Hidan, will you stop being so damn clumsy!" Kakazu yelled._

_"Fuck you Kakazu! Another one caught me off-guard," Hidan barked, prying himself from the tree he crashed into._

_'Another one?' Kakazu turned to the direction his partner came from and sure enough there was a new combatant. It was some blonde kid dressed in all black with a red towel wrapped around his waist._

Well that's it for now. If everything goes well (Keyword: **IF**), then it'll be uploaded next Friday.


	10. Zombies of the Red Cloud

**Hits: 15,623**

**Favs: 134**

**Alerts: 119**

I got something going on for me this week and haven't had much time to work on the chapter much. So I decided to split it into two parts. I was so inspired Saturday night and pumped this out in like one hour. But due to time constraints, I haven't been able to work on it since then. Another things that I'm not entirely sure how the second half will go. There are still tons of ideas bouncing around. I'll most like take the rest of the week to think it out, type it up Friday/Saturday and hopefully post it on Monday.

I want serious feedback on this chapter. I'm pretty sure you guys want me to put out good writing and I most definitely want to, but I need help. I want to be a better writer and learn from my mistakes but comments like "Nice/Interesting chapter" or "Love the story, Update soon" aren't really helpful. Those should be sent as PMs. You could at least what you like about the story or what you found interesting. I mean would it really kill you? I don't even care if you say something negative about it! you could hate my story for all I care and I'll still read what you have to say. Of course, if you're being a dick about it I'll just give a mental "Fuck You too" and move on. Last thing, don't try and throw canon elements at me because you think I'm off about something. This is fanfiction (Emphasis on the _fan _and _fiction) _If I wanted the canon storyline, I'd just go read the manga.

Please understand my frustration. I don't want to slip up and have another incident like the "Great NaruHina Rant" from chapter 4. That almost made me want to quit writing. I'm just trying to do the best I can..

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter X: Zombies of the Red Cloud<strong>

Sasuke felt the dead weight he was carrying shift around on his shoulder and stopped walking. Just like he predicted, Naruto was waking up. "He's starting to come to," He informed Yumiko.

Sasuke walked over to a nearby tree and propped the blonde's body against it. Naruto's eyes fluttered a bit before slowly opening. "Where are we?" he grumbled, still shaking off the drowsy effect that sleep brought.

"The Forest of Dead Trees. What happened?' Sasuke asked. He had an idea but he wanted to be sure. He also knew how Naruto felt about mentioning the fox in front of others.

"I had the strangest dream. First I-" Naruto stopped mid-sentence when he felt something in his hands. He looked down to see his father's kunai, which he had held onto this whole time in a vice-like grip. He thumb over the seal and it that weird feeling that he felt in his dream after his father touched him coursed through his body again. _'It wasn't a dream…'_ he thought to himself.

"Nothing much, I'll tell you about it later," Naruto said. He didn't know how to make sense of it himself at the moment and doubted anyone else could. He pushed himself to his feet and stretched with a mighty yawn.

"Are you ok Naruto-kun?" Yumiko asked looking up at the boy, concern written all over her face. People don't just going around passing out willy nilly. Unless they had narcolepsy of course, which she highly doubted in this case.

"Oh don't worry, I'll be just fine," Naruto smiled giving her a thumbs up, to which she smiled in return. Yumiko wasn't one hundred percent convince but she would take his word on it this time.

"Yeah, yeah whatever can we go now?" Sasuke rushed, carelessly shrugging off the glare the brunette shot him.

"Yeah, were almost at th-" Naruto was cut off by a loud explosion that sent tremors through the ground. All three of them stumbled for a bit before regaining their balance.

"What was that?" Yumiko exclaimed.

"I don't know but whatever it is, it can't be good," Naruto said looking off in the direction the explosion came from. "Sasuke, I think we should go check it out. We're too close to Sound territory to let this go unchecked," Naruto stated.

Sasuke shot the blonde an 'are you serious?' look before going over it in his head. His friend did indeed have a point. Whatever battle, machine, or thing caused an explosion like that could easily become their problem if it crossed into Sound country. "Alright, fine," the raven-haired boy sighed.

"Alright let's go," Naruto said, scooping Yumiko up in his arms, much to the brunette's surprise. "We'll move faster this way," He said. She nodded her head in understanding while trying to hide the blush spreading across her face. With that, Naruto and Sasuke leapt off, disappearing from sight.

* * *

><p>"<strong><em>Wind Style: Pressure Damage!"<em>**

Kakashi yet again dodged another powerful blast of wind from the strange mask that sprang from the Akatsuki member's back. He ran up another tree to escape the cyclone only to be intercepted by the flame mask.

It lunged at the silver-haired jōnin with a spear-like hand, to which Kakashi ducked under at the last second. He tore through its body with a Lightning Blade only for it to regenerate again. Kakashi hurriedly kicked away before it reformed around his hand and tried to formulate a new plan of action.

From what he gathered so far, the Akatsuki member, Kakazu, whose back the masks originated from was controlling them, much like Sunagakure's puppetry technique. One mask used Fire Style techniques, another used Wind Style, and the last used Lightning Style. Kakazu himself used Earth Style, giving him control over majority of the elemental chakra natures.

But one thing that still had him puzzled was how the nukenin was still alive. He was positive he had struck hit right through the heart with a Lightning Blade while he was still trapped in Shikamaru's Shadow Possession, yet he was still alive. Maybe there was some truth to what he said about having multiple hearts after all.

He didn't have much time to ponder the subject as the fire mask was in his face again.

"_**Fire Style: Searing Migraine!"**_

A ball of fire erupted from the mask and sped towards Kakashi. With no room to dodge, Kakashi began forming hand signs as fast as he could.

"_**Fire Style: Fireball Jutsu!"**_

The two attacks collided in a mighty explosion that shook the surrounding area. When the resulting smoke cloud finally cleared, Kakashi was nowhere to be found. Kakazu raised an eyebrow as he began searching for his hidden opponent.

Meanwhile, Shikamaru and Chōji were trying to deal with Kakazu's loudmouth partner, Hidan. They had learned from their previous encounter that it would fatal to let him get even the slightest scratch on you. At the moment, they were at a loss for strategy beyond dodging Hidan's wild, unorthodox slashes.

The fact that Chōji couldn't use his expansion jutsu to restrain him in fear of getting cut and that Hidan was weary of Shikamaru's shadow techniques made the fight even more difficult.

Shikamaru cursed as he dodged another swipe from the white-haired madman. He wielded Asuma's trench knives to help better defend himself but he wasn't properly trained in their use. _'I don't know how much longer I can last,'_ Shikamaru grunted as he blocked Hidan's massive scythe. Close-quarters combat wasn't really his forte. He was used to devising plans and executing them from a distance, not being caught in the middle of the fray.

Chōji attacked from Hidan's blind spot with a super-sized fist, only for the madman to turn and face him head on. "I don't think so!" Hidan cackled, delivering a power kick to Chōji's stomach, causing his eyes to roll to the back of his head. The plus-size boy was sent flying into a nearby tree, where he lost consciousness.

"Chōji!" Ino screamed rushing to her friend's aid. She wanted nothing more than to help her teammates but they insisted that she stay back since she was the only one with medical capabilities. She was apprehensive at first but she soon understood. It was up to her to prevent another situation from a week ago. "Hang in there Chōji," she whispered as she began to heal his injuries.

'_Damn it, this isn't good! Chōji's down and Kakashi-sensei doesn't look like he's doing too well. Kami, if we make it out of this alive, I promise I'll show more initiative in life,'_ Shikamaru thought as he observed the older man dodging attack after attack. Unfortunately, he was too caught up in everyone else well-being to worry about his own.

"I've got you now!" Hidan yelled as he rushed the unsuspecting teen. Shikamaru tried to backpedal at the last second only to lose his footing and trip. "Your soul belongs to Jashin-sama now!" Hidan laughed bringing his scythe down on the pineapple-haired boy's neck mid fall.

"Shikamaru!" Ino screamed.

'_So this is it huh? I'm sorry Asuma-sensei, I failed. Guess I'll be seeing you soon,'_ Those were Shikamaru's last thoughts as he closed his eyes and waited for the inevitable. But it never came.

At the last second, a red sword came flying out of nowhere and struck Hidan in the chest, stopping his assault. "What the hell?" he yelled. Shikamaru opened his eyes confused to see an equally bewildered Hidan.

Before he knew what happened, a blonde flashed into existence grasping onto the sword. Hidan could only watch as the boy drove his heel into his face, sending him careening across the battlefield and nearly slamming into his partner.

"Damn it Hidan, will you stop being so damn clumsy!" Kakazu yelled.

"Fuck you Kakazu! Another one caught me off-guard," Hidan barked, prying himself from the tree he crashed into.

'_Another one?'_ Kakazu turned to the direction his partner came from and sure enough there was a new combatant. It was some blonde kid dressed in all black with a red towel wrapped around his waist.

"Are you kidding me Hidan?" Kakazu asked, sending a chastising gaze in the religious man direction.

"Hey fuck you, I said he got lucky!"

"They're just mere children. Watch and learn. _**Lightning Style: False Darkness!**_" A bolt of lightning shot forth from one of his mask. It focused into rigid beam that was on collision course with the boy's heart. But before it reach him, the sounds of a birds chirping filled the air.

Another boy appeared out of nowhere and sliced right through Kakazu's attack with a lightning covered fist. The new boy had dark hair and was dressed like the blonde only a different color scheme. The way both boys stood next to each other and the aura of arrogance they gave off irked Kakazu.

"Hah some lesson there Kakazu!" Hidan mocked.

"Shut it Hidan! We need to figure out an escape plan so we can contact Leader-sama," Kakazu said. He wasn't very fond of the idea of running away with your tail between your legs but he had enough sense to know when to cut your losses.

"To hell with that! Their souls will be offered to Jashin-sama as a sacrifice!" Hidan screamed like a madman before dashing at the unknown assailants.

"Hidan wait!" Kakazu yelled after the man to no avail. He really hated how thick-headed his partner was at times. If he was lucky, they rid Hidan of him forever and he'd finally be able to get a new one.

* * *

><p>Shikamaru watched in awe as his guardian angel, or at least what he believed to be, saved him. The blonde stood in front of him unfazed by the beam of energy sent straight at him. And then the most curious thing happened. <em>Another <em>angel came down and swatted away Kakazu's attack like a fly on the wall.

Shikamaru was so caught up in the thought of divine intervention that he almost didn't notice the familiarity between the two. _'Wait a minute…That's Naruto! So that must mean he's…Sasuke!'_ He felt like an idiot for not recognizing them earlier. _'But why are they here?'_

"Sasuke let's make this quick. We'll dispose of the loud one and then take out Kakazu," Naruto said readying himself for the approaching Hidan. He received an affirmative grunt from his friend.

"Jashin-sama will be most please after I sacrifice strong souls like yours to him! Now just hold steady and die!" Hidan bellowed, quickly closing the distance between the two.

Before he ever got the chance to strike, Naruto ran forward and launched a sweep kick at his legs. Hidan saw the attack easily and jumped up, but he hadn't expected the other boy to follow him. He barely had time to raise his arms and block the roundhouse that would've collided with his chest.

"Hah is that all you got? Mere child's play!" Hidan smirked.

"Not even remotely," came Naruto's voice came from beneath him. Before he could even react, Hidan felt a pair of hands around his ankles. Naruto slammed him hard into the ground causing a small crater to form. But Naruto didn't stop there. He drug Hidan a few feet by his ankles before gaining enough momentum and using a good amount of his full strength to launch the man skyward.

Sasuke ran at Naruto and the two made eye contact before exchanging a nod. Naruto formed a rasengan while Sasuke leapt over him. Naruto shoved the newly formed rasengan into Sasuke's heel, sending the raven haired-boy soaring.

Hidan regained his bearing a short time later only to find himself hundreds of feet in above ground and still rising. He began to level off after a few seconds and looked back toward the earth to begin his descent. Only instead of falling, he was caught in the chin by a vicious uppercut from Sasuke that sent him upward a few more feet.

Thanks to Naruto, he was able to catch up easily and now he would finish the Akatsuki member off before going back to take care of his partner. Using the Shadow of the Dancing Leaf technique, he reappeared behind the still disoriented Hidan as he began to fall again.

"_**Lightning Lions Barrage!" **_

Sasuke slammed his right leg straight into Hidan's ribcage, breaking a few ribs whilst knocking the wind out of his lungs. He spun and brought his leg around to strike the opposite side of his ribcage, breaking a few more. And to finish it off, Sasuke formed a Chidori in both hands and brought them together above his head to form a hammer fist. He struck Hidan directly in the skull and sent the man barreling back down towards the earth.

Hidan sailed back towards the ground at an incredible velocity. Unbeknownst to him, directly below him, Naruto lay in wait. Seeing Hidan's body less than a hundred feet from the ground, he leapt up to meet him in midair. Winds whipped violently around his blade as he drew nearer. If Sasuke's attack didn't kill him, this sure as hell would. With the upmost precision, Naruto slashed straight through Hidan midsection in one fell swoop.

The bisected man's body crashed into the dirt with two mighty booms. Naruto dropped back down and less than two seconds later, Sasuke gracefully landed right next to him. Both cast a glance at the craters caused by the Hidan's body and smirked.

"Alright, now let's take care of Ka-"

"GOD DAMN IT THAT HURT! WAIT TILL I'M WHOLE AGAIN, I'M GONNA RIP YOU GUYS A NEW ASSHOLE!" Hidan's voice roared from one of the craters.

Both boys stared in disbelief as they watch the white-haired man's torso crawled out of the hole. He was battered, bruised, and cut in half, but alive nonetheless.

"Impossible," Naruto growled.

"What kind of Jutsu is this?" Sasuke questioned.

"I don't know but let's finish him off," Naruto said. Both boys shot forward, intent on actually killing Hidan this time. They didn't make it far before Kakazu's fire and wind masks intercepted them. Naruto and Sasuke somersaulted backwards and out of the way. They slid to a stop and watched as Kakazu appeared next to his fallen comrade.

"You two are a nuisance," He said unleashing his masks on the two teenage boys. "And you are pathetic. I have half a mind to just leave you like that," he chastised the fraction of a man before him.

"SHUT UP AND PUT ME BACK TOGETHER ALREADY!" Hidan roared. Kakazu ignored him to the best of his abilities as he stretched his arm to the other crater and drug the rest of Hidan's body over. He watched the boys intently as they fought his masks while he worked on sewing his banshee of a teammate back together.

Naruto and Sasuke were put on the defensive as they kept evading the seemingly sentient masks. It was all they could do at the moment. Every time they cut into the strange iron thread-like skin, it would just regenerate and keep moving as if unaffected. They had to figure out something before the enemy recovered.

The fire and wind masks halted their pursuit abruptly, putting them on edge. Their bodies slammed into each other and morphed into something monstrous. The two masks now sat side by side at what was assumed to be the head.

Sasuke could see chakra beginning to build up in the masks. "Naruto, they're about to attack!" he warned.

A large fireball shot forth from the mouth of the fire mask while a blast of air came from the wind mask. The concussive gust of wind slammed into the fireball, increasing its overall speed, force, and heat. The mini meteor barreled across the field heading straight for the young sound-nin.

Luckily, Naruto and Sasuke were on their toes, reacting almost immediately.

"_**Fire Style: Dragon Flame Bullet!"**_

"_**Wind Style: Unrelenting Force!"**_

A large dragon forged of flames roared forth from Sasuke while a hurricane wind erupted from Naruto. The two attacks merged with a mighty roar and blazed forward to meet the fireball head-on. The fire dragon swallowed the fireball and both ruptured in a thunderous explosion, sending dust, smoke, and debris everywhere.

Before the dust could fully settle, a blue cyclone shot out of the smokescreen like a bat out of hell. Electricity danced across the small vortex as it honed in on the black beast. It tore right through the center and burst from the monster's back. It missed its target though as the mask had moved to the side and safely out of harm's way. Or so they thought.

There was a displacement of air heard and both looked up just in time to see a blade carve right down the middle of their faces. The last thing they saw before the life left them was a tuff of golden hair. Naruto stood over the disintegrating form of the beast, both his and Sasuke's sword in hand. He smirked at seeing their plan work. He looked to see his partner standing, the last remains of the Chidori he held dissolving.

He had to admit it was a pretty clever to use the Inuzaka's distinguished Piercing Fang while holding a Chidori in each hand. The penetration power was incredible. Naruto wasn't aware Sasuke had copied it but figured it must've been back during the chūnin exams in his match against Kiba.

Naruto had remembered from Orochimaru's debriefing of all the Akatsuki members that Kakazu used some sort of Earth-Style kinjutsu that he stole from Takigakure. Sasuke's lightning-style was perfect for the situation and provided the perfect distraction. While the masks were busy avoiding, Sasuke's attack, they were too busy to notice Naruto coming down on them with his flying swallow technique. It was perfect for assassinations or catching your opponent off-guard.

"Nicely done…for an Uchiha," Naruto smirked, tossing his friend his sword as he drew closer.

"And that was alright…for a Namikaze," Sasuke smirked back, hoping to elicit a response out of the blonde. He knew how much it irked Naruto to be called by his father's surname. Only this time, he didn't get the response he had hoped for. Naruto mere smiled at him before a scowl set on his features and he directed a glare towards the two Akatsuki members across the field.

Kakazu shook from his stupor of seeing _two more_ of his hearts died, leaving him with just his own and the lightning one. He had planned on fleeing after he finished with Hidan, but now he was dead set on replacing the hearts he lost today, starting with those two.

"About fucking time!" Hidan cried out. He sat up and twirled his arms around, trying to bring the feeling back into them.

"Hidan, try not to be so rough. Those stitches are new and can give way at any moment and I do not feel like putting back together for a third time," Kakazu warned.

"Yeah, yeah whatever. I'll take it easy just as soon as I bleed them dry and make them beg for mercy before offering their souls to Jashin-sama," Hidan said pushing himself to his feet. His torn cloak slid off his body leaving him clad in nothing but black pants and sandals. His Yugakure headband remained coiled around his neck as did his Jashin amulet.

"For once, I couldn't agree with you more," Kakazu said popping his joints.

* * *

><p>Shorter than usual, but then again, it's only part one. I'd like to start out saying a few things:<p>

Firstly, the friendship between Yumiko and Naruto is _strictly_ **Platonic**. Nothing, has, or ever will happen between the two. No insinuations whatsoever.

Secondly, I love how everyone tells me that they're glad Sasuke isn't an "Irredeemable asshole". I honestly hate that people _always _(ok maybe 95%) portray him that way. He good at heart and just needs proper guidance.

Ok that it's for now I think...

So read and actually _review._ At least for this chapter if not any other. I don't care much for the number of reviews (though a lot is greatly appreciated), just the quality.. Chances are that only a handful of you will actually listen to what I have to say and I'll be back to square one in a few chapters. Special shout-out to Gento70, Kauris, and Impstar. They've left me quite a few reviews that I took into consideration and found really helpful.

No more on the subject. I promise ^^

-White Chidori


	11. Killing the Unkillable

**Hits: 18,303**

**Favs: 140**

**Alerts: 128**

Wow chapter 11 already... I really can't believe I've already posted ten chapters and i haven't even started the main story line yet. I'm glad that so many people like my story though. I hadn't planned on it becoming such a big success. I actually reread the whole story on here up to now the other day and was like "Damn...I wrote this?"

Anyway, sorry for not updating last week but this took me way longer than I thought it would. I also found some really interesting fics to read, which took away from my already dwindling time to spend writing. But that doesn't matter now because I brought you the epic conclusion to the Naru/Sasu vs Akatsuki fight! *Crowd goes wild* I literally ripped out my and squeezed out every last drop of creativity like fresh orange juice. A lot of hard work went into this so you'd _better_ like it or else! (-.(-.(-.-).-).-)

Time for some bad news (well sorta)...

I won't be posting anytime soon. My economics is due on the 18th so I'm cracking down on it so that I can pass and graduate. Putting my full efforts into this so I won't even start the next chapter till then. So if that's too long a wait for you then...Sorry I guess. My future is way more important.

Now then, on with the story.

* * *

><p><strong> XI: Killing the Unkillable<strong>

Kakashi, who sat resting against a tree, stared in awe as he watched his former pupils take on the Akatsuki duo. He marveled at how much older and mature they looked. The only change he saw in Naruto since he last saw him was that he now had hair just like his father's, albeit not as long or wild. Sasuke looked relatively the same only taller.

'_They've grown a lot since their genin days. Then, they couldn't go two minutes without bickering like children. And here they are now taking on ruthless nukenin with impeccable teamwork. And they've gotten so much stronger,'_ Kakashi thought as he rested against a tree. He was surprised by their sudden appearance but he was thankful. He was on the verge of collapsing from chakra exhaustion and didn't know how much longer he could've lasted.

"Guess we have to leave it up to them now," Kakashi muttered to himself as he watch the battle from afar. From what he had seen, Chōji was unconscious, Ino fight wasn't an option, and Shikamaru was just as tired as he was. Truthfully, if Naruto and Sasuke hadn't shown up, they could very well be dead by now.

"I'm getting too old for this," Kakashi grumbled, watching the battle unfold before him.

* * *

><p>"<em>Damn it's the Akatsuki," Naruto said as he Sasuke, and Yumiko hid up high in one of the many trees overlooking the battlefield.<em>

"_Sasuke….we have to do something about them," Naruto said in a serious tone. The raven-haired boy shot him a look that screamed 'Have you gone stupid?'_

"_Naruto you can't be serious! This is Konoha and Akatsuki's quarrel! As far as I'm concerned, they could slaughter each other for all I care! Two birds, one stone."_

"_Sasuke they're too close to the Sound to let this go unchecked. We can eliminate two of their members right now. They are already after me and I'll have to face them sometime, might as well do it now," Naruto said._

_It made since to Sasuke but he wasn't fully convinced. The Akatsuki would indeed come after Naruto for the Nine-Tails sealed within him. Naruto could see the indecisiveness written all over his friend's face and figured he just needed an extra push._

"_Plus if we take them down, there's a chance we could coax some information about Itachi out of them…" Naruto said. He smirked when he saw the Uchiha's face stiffen at the mention of his brother. 'Hook, line, and sinker!'_

"_Alright fine…" Sasuke muttered._

"_Yumiko," Naruto said sharply, frightening the poor girl with his sudden outburst. "Stay here. You should be safe up here and out of harm's way. We'll come back to get you as soon as we take care of business."_

"_Oh ok. Sure thing Naruto-kun," Yumiko replied. Not like she had much room to argue though. They were at least a hundred feet up and she was no ninja or very fond of climbing. All she could do was make herself as comfortable as possible in the little alcove that Naruto ha set her down in._

"_Hey you guys, make sure you…" She stopped when she realized she was alone. The boys had leapt away while she wasn't looking. "Be safe," she whispered softly, finishing her thought. She silently sent prayers to the Gods to keep her new found friends safe._

"Stand still you little bastard and let me cut it!" Hidan yelled at Sasuke, who slipped under a swipe from the nukenin's scythe. Sasuke sidestepped away and drew his sword, Sharingan ablaze. He nearly lost his head thinking back on exactly why he was doing this in the first place.

He'd been trying to read the man's movements but it was proving difficult. There was no style or form whatsoever. It was just a bunch of wild, senseless swinging.

Sasuke's blade clashed against the massive scythe, slipping in between two of its three blades. Hidan pressed down on the younger boy in hope of overpowering him, but to no avail. Sasuke held his ground strong, a glare set upon his features.

"Those eyes…" Hidan whispered. He was all too familiar with those fiery-red, tri-tomoed eyes. "You're an Uchiha!" Hidan said shocked. Then a wicked grin appeared on his face. "That must mean you're Ita-"

Before he could finish his sentence, Sasuke deflected away the massive weapon, knocking the older man off balance. He delivered a hard roundhouse to Hidan's abdomen before he could recover. Hidan bounced across the ground once before flipping on to his feet and skidding to a stop.

"You must be Itachi's little brother!" he yelled from across the way.

"What do you know of my brother?'' Sasuke asked, doing his best to stay calm. The mere mentioning of his older sibling made his blood boil.

"What do _you_ know of your brother? Not much apparently otherwise you would've seen that slaughter coming. It's a shame I wasn't there to guide those poor lost souls into the ever-accepting embrace of Jashin-sama," Hidan laughed.

Sasuke was getting more irritated with the silver-haired banshee as each second passed. Not only was he loud, but we was mocking him. "You _will_ tell me everything you know about my brother," Sasuke said threateningly.

"How about…no. but you're more than welcome to try and make me," Hidan grinned. He was trying to goad the boy into a blind rage that way his form would grow sloppy and would make it easier to hit him, and hopefully, draw blood. He was still sour from being tossed around and bisected earlier like a mindless ragdoll. The verbal warning from Itachi played over in his head.

"_If any of you should ever come across my brother, leave him be. He is my responsibility and mine alone," _ _'Fuck that he can get in line!'_

But Sasuke had come a long way since his genin days. Long hours of training and meditation taught him how to keep his rage in check. He decided to make the first move and dashed at Hidan. He'd have to switch tactics if he planned on ending this battle quickly.

* * *

><p>Kakashi waited a few minutes before pushing himself back to his feet. "I better make sure my team is ok," He mused and began the tiring walk to where his charges were located.<p>

He took a few steps before hearing a loud crack of wood snapping and a shriek above him. Thinking it was an enemy surprise attack, Kakashi withdrew a kunai and looked skyward but was confused at what he saw.

A large branch was falling towards the ground and girl along with it. Shaking from his stupor, Kakashi ran up the tree and jumped off, catching the girl in his arms moment before she splattered across the ground. He landed safely back on the earth, the girl shaking in fear in his arms. He couldn't feel any chakra radiating from her which meant she wasn't a shinobi but he was confused as to what a civilian was doing in a place like this.

"Are you ok miss?" Kakashi asked setting her on the ground. She had long brown hair that was pulled into a ponytail and he figured she couldn't be much older than Sakura.

"Um…yeah. T-Thank you," she stammered, still shaken up.

"Excuse but if you don't mind me asking, What is a civilian doing out here?" Kakashi queried. Surely she knew that there was a battle of mass proportions raging not fifty feet away.

"Um…well you see, I was traveling with my friends but when we got here they said something about the "Akot ski" or something and said they had some business to take care of. They left me up in that tree and told me to wait for them to return," the girl explained.

"Wait, are the boys out there fighting the friends you mentioned?"

She nodded. "Naruto-kun and Sasuke-san were escorting me to the Land of Hot Water,"

Kakashi was bewildered at how this girl knew his former students. "I think you should come with me. This is no place for a civilian; my team and I can protect you until your friends are finished," Kakashi stated.

If he was lucky, he would be able to get some information on the two out of her. He wasn't fond of the idea but if Tsunade ever found out he failed to act on an opportunity to obtain information about them, she would have his head. He did actually mean what he said about protecting her though. She seemed hesitant about his offer but after a moment she gave a reluctant nod.

* * *

><p>Naruto dodged yet another blast of lightning that arced his way. For the last couple of minutes, he had been chased down by Kakazu's lightning mask, which was dead-set on frying him to a crisp. The monstrous black form was constantly on his heels, giving him no room to take offensive action.<p>

So now he found himself dancing and weaving in between the nearby trees trying to formulate a plan. 'Ok I know this is his last mask and it uses lightning-style jutsu, meaning I have the advantage. But the damn thing isn't giving me any room to use jutsu! If only I could give it the slip I could-'

His thought was cut short when he unknowingly backed into a tree. The mask formed a spear-like fist and lunged straight at the boy's face. Naruto cursed as he flipped up and stuck to the tree, barely dodging the attack. He scowled as he saw the spear imbedded in the tree where his head used to be. He almost took off again but then he noticed that it was struggling to break free.

Seeing this as an opportune chance, Naruto launched himself off the tree with a mighty leap and headed directly at Kakazu. He decided it was best to go straight for the source. He quickly drew his sword as he sailed through the air. Kakazu remained motionless as the blonde closed in on him. He smirked when the boy came in range.

"_**Water Style: Water Encampment Wall!"**_

Water exploded from the earth around Kakazu at the last second and rose to form a barrier around him. Naruto cursed as he slammed right into the wall of water and became stuck. He was going too fast to avoid it. That and it was kind of hard stop abruptly or change direction in midair.

Naruto struggled to break free of the liquid's grasp but it had a tight hold on him. Figuring he couldn't break free, he settled for glaring at the nukenin, eye burning red in annoyance. Kakazu nearly laughed off the boy's death glare, but he was more composed than that. He pulled out a kunai and was about to end the child's existence, but he stopped when he noticed something.

Blonde hair, red eyes with black slits, whisker marks scars on both cheeks. "Naruto Uzumaki, the Nine-Tails Jinchūriki," He said in a calm voice. "And must mean he's…Sasuke Uchiha," He said looking over at his partner fighting the dark-haired boy.

They had gotten intelligence a few years ago that the last Uchiha and the Nine-Tails Jinchūriki had left Konoha and became missing-nin. They had scrounged the lands in search of the boy. He would be a lot easier to capture without a village protecting him. After months of fruitless attempts, they came across some disturbing information.

Both of the boys had joined up with that scum of a being Orochimaru. This meant bad news for the Akatsuki. The snake bastard more than likely possessed classified information on the organization and each of the members, which he more than likely passed on to them. They should've just eliminated him the moment he defected.

Naruto didn't even flinch at the mentioning of his name. He was certain that he knew who he was and it was only a matter of time until they figured it out. At least he didn't have to worry about dying, at least not at the moment.

"Perhaps today wasn't that much of an upset. We've spent years looking for you and you just up and appear and fall into my lap. We can finally seal away the Nine-Tails," Kakazu mused. He was slightly unnerved by the boy's dark grin.

"Don't bank on it," Naruto grinned. Without warning, the boy exploded. Smoke and water spread everywhere and rained down on the battlefield. The real Naruto landed in the clearing, making sure to keep his distance from the blast site. His explosive shadow clones packed quite the punch but he was certain that it would take more than that to kill and S-class nukenin.

As if on cue, the black, deformed body of the lightning mask shot forth out of the smoke at an amazing speed. Naruto was slow to react and was speared through the shoulder. He cursed feeling his left arm go limp. The masked opened its mouth and electricity began to spark around its fangs. With the boy speared, the attack was bound to hit at point-blank range.

Realizing its intentions, Naruto acted quickly. He delivered a forceful Spartan kick (don't act like you don't know what I'm talking about!) to its chest, sending it stumbling backwards. Now successfully dislodged, Naruto grabbed the bloody spear with his good arm and sent the creature flying with a hefty throw.

Naruto decided to call in help. Though the wound in his arm had healed, he wouldn't regain feeling in it for a few minutes. He wouldn't be able to protect himself properly without both arms and the mask was beginning to move at speeds he couldn't unless he used a lot of chakra, which was out of the question.

'Time to take to the skies,' Naruto thought running up a nearby tree. When he reached the top, he leapt off and let out a high pitched whistle.

* * *

><p>Kakazu watched with peaked interest as the boy ran up the tree. He wasn't exactly sure of what he planned to do but he readied himself. He was confused when he saw him leap off and whistle but confusion was rapidly replaced with utter shock as a strange blue and white creature appeared out of thin air and caught him. <em>'What the hell is this? he summoned a creature without even performing a jutsu! No…it must've been hiding somewhere nearby waiting for his call. Whatever it is, it can't be good,'<em>

Naruto enjoyed the feeling of wind whipping through his hair that came with flying. He circled around the battlefield on the back of Latios. As always, the dragon's response time was impeccable. At least now he had the speed to evade the mask without wasting chakra, not to mention Latios' impressive fire-power.

He was about to swoop down and begin his assault on Kakazu until he felt something press against his back. Confused, he look down to see a tiny pair of arms encircling his waist. He looked over his shoulder in horror to see wisp of blonde hair and a black cape flapping in the wind.

"TSUKI WHAT ARE YOU DOING HERE?"

* * *

><p>Yumiko found herself sitting near a tree with the silver-haired man and the rest of his team. None of them looked any older than her. There was a dark-haired boy whose hair was styled like a pineapple, a large boy who lay asleep against the tree, and a girl with silky platinum blonde hair.<p>

The two who were awake visibly questioned her presence until the man pulled them aside and said something to them. Now they all sat spectated Naruto and Sasuke's fight with the infamous nukenin of the Akatsuki.

Yumiko watched on in amazement as the two boys battled it out. She figured them to be strong, but this was breathtaking. She was still a little shaken up on the inside about the tree incident a few minutes ago. She had been trying to catch a better glimpse of what was going on so she leaned out on a large, sturdy looking branch. Only it turned out that the branch wasn't so sturdy and she was sent tumbling out of the tree along with it.

She was thankful that the man had been there to catch her; otherwise she'd be nothing but a stain on the earth by now. She wasn't entirely sure about following the man but he had offered to protect her while Naruto and Sasuke away. She knew she couldn't protect herself from the likes of shinobi. Judging from the man's headband, which covered one of his eyes, he was a leaf ninja.

Konoha was allies with Suna so she figured it was safe to trust them. In fact, she had seen the pineapple haired boy walking around Suna with Temari, the Kazekage's sister, a multitude of times.

Yumiko watched as Sasuke dueled the strange man with silver hair who kept screaming. He might be a jerk, but she couldn't deny that the boy was a skilled swordsman. She turned back to watch Naruto and nearly screamed when she saw the black monster impale him in the shoulder. He just tossed it aside like a ragdoll and ran up a tree.

Her eyed widened when saw him riding a majestic dragon appear out of nowhere. But she heard him yell out something and thought he was being attacked when she noticed a black bundle hanging on his back.

Naruto and swooped down on their position and as he got closer, she was able to identify the black bundle as a little girl. She watched as Naruto dismounted the beautiful creature and made copy of himself that he sent away with the dragon.

Naruto set the little girl in front of him and crouched down to her level. She had long blonde hair like his that was held back by a black ribbon and reached the middle of her back. She wore all black and a hooded cloak hung off her shoulders. A little blue sword, much like Naruto's, was strapped to her back.

"What's going on big brother?" She cried.

"Tsuki, what are you doing here?" Naruto yelled.

"I don't know…" she said tearing up. She was suddenly in a scary, unfamiliar place and wasn't used to him fussing at her like this.

"What do you mean you don't know? It's not safe here, You could get kil-" He stopped when he saw the tears rolling down her cheeks, confusion written all over her face. He didn't realize how loud he was being with her, something he had never done before. He pulled her close and she sobbed lightly into his chest as he held her tightly. He'd have to wait for her to calm down to get an explanation. Hopefully, Latios and his shadow clone would be able to hold off Kakazu long enough.

Collective gasps escaped the other present members, who were ignored by the two blondes. The confrontation between the two was totally unexpected and caught them both off-guard.

'So this is Tsuki?…Oh my god she's so adorable!'

'Did she just call him 'big brother'? Since when did Naruto have a sister? This whole thing just got even more troublesome.'

'I could've sworn Minato-sensei and Kushina-san only had one child…'

'Naruto looks so much cuter up close. And he has an adorable little sister too!'

Feeling her sobs soften, Naruto pulled Tsuki away and held her by her shoulders. "Ok Tsuki, now tell me, how did you get here?" He asked in a soft, yet serious tone.

"I-I don't know really. Four ey-I mean Kabuto sent me into town to buy some herbs for him so I rode Tio-chan to get there so that I could get back really fast and keep training. But on our way back, Tio-chan stiffened up and he started glowing. I closed my eyes and when I opened them, we were here and you were riding him with me," Tsuki explained.

"Wait, you were already on Latios?" Naruto asked. The smaller blonde nodded meekly. _'So that explains it…Latios must use some sort of teleportation when I call him and Tsuki got caught in the middle of it,'_ Naruto mused in his head.

"Naruto…what's going on?" Tsuki asked, seeing the far off look in her brother's eyes. Naruto shook his head, returning back to reality.

"Remember those bad guys I told you about that want to take away the mean ol' fox monster living in my belly?"

"Uh huh, the Akadsugi."

"Well two of them are here now and me and Sasuke are going to beat them up so that they can't hurt anybody else," he explained. He was thankful that she nodded her head, signifying she understood.

"Tsuki, I need you to stay here until I get done," Naruto told her.

"But big br-"

"No buts. This is something I gotta do. Now promise me that you'll stay right here, no matter what happens,"

"Ok I promise…" she muttered.

"Pinky promise," Naruto said extending his smallest appendage towards her.

"I pinky promise," she said wrapping her pinky around his. Naruto smiled at her and gave her one last hug and turned to leave but she stopped him.

"Big Brother before you go, you have to promise me something too," Tsuki said.

"And what is that?" Naruto asked.

"Promise me that you'll come back safe so we can go back home," She said. Naruto's eyes softened upon hearing her request.

"I promise," he said softly. He didn't like making promises he didn't know if he could keep. The life of a ninja was unpredictable and ever-changing. Today could very well be the day he died. But he was confident in his abilities and if this was the positive reinforcement that she needed, he wouldn't deny it from her.

"Do you papoof?" She asked him, putting her hands on her hips.

'_Shit…'_ Naruto cursed. She had hit him with the diabolical _papoof_. It was a type of promise that she came up with that was utterly unbreakable. You couldn't go back on it for _any_ reason. He tried to come up with some excuse before he was caught in a bind, but it was hard with her bearing into his soul with her defiant, yet cute stare. "I papoof," he sighed, giving up.

Tsuki's face lit up with glee and she wrapped her arms around his waist in one last quick hug before pushing him away towards the ongoing battle. "Good, now go, go, go!"

Naruto was slightly disheveled from being man-handled by an eight year-old like that but he had pressing matters to return to. "Yumiko, watch after her for me!" Naruto called to the brunette. He wasn't sure _why_ or _how_ she got there but he was glad she was. Latios swung by swiftly, picking up Naruto along the way, and the two returned to the battlefield.

"Don't worry I will! You guys be safe!" Yumiko called after him.

"Show them whose boss big brother!" Tsuki exclaimed pumping her fist.

* * *

><p>Sasuke and Hidan clashed over and over again as they danced across the clearing. Sasuke switch over from his traditional style to a more face-paced one that relied on speed and quick strikes. The strikes themselves weren't powerful but a whole flurry of them would do some serious damage. In doing so, he was able to match Hidan's unpredictable fighting style.<p>

Sasuke blocked the massive scythe and knocked away it away. Giving Hidan no time to recover, Sasuke rushed forth and began assaulting the man's exposed torso with a series of rapids strikes and flourishes. He had planned on keeping him alive but he was too aggravating. His partner seemed like the more calm and smarter of the two so he opted on capturing him instead. Sasuke ended his blitz by driving his sword into Hidan's sternum.

Hidan stumbled back a few feet and looked down to see the offending object protruding from his chest. "Hah I got your sword now! Let's see you act all fanc-"

Sasuke silenced him yet again by running forward and drop kicking him straight in the chest. The silver-haired man took off flying yet again and slammed into yet another tree, but this time, he was impaled against it by Sasuke's sword.

Hidan was utterly sick of be tossed around like a child's play thing. "Damn it if you don't stop doing that I'm gon-" He stopped talking when he heard a small thud. He looked down to see a kunai embedded in the base of the hilt of the sword. He also noticed a wire tied around the loop of the kunai than ran all the way to what looked like the Uchiha's left hand.

Sasuke stood with arm held up, glaring at him. "Tell what you know about my brother," he commanded.

"Go fuck yourself!" Hidan roared, trying to free himself.

"Wrong answer. _**Chidori Nagashi!**_" Electricity burst into life in his palm and it raced across the wire attached to his ring finger. It reach Hidan in a split second. The man's pained screams echoed throughout the forest.

Sasuke took slight pleasure in the man's suffering and cut the current. He just might let him live longer if he gave him the information he wanted His smirk disappeared when Hidan's screams transitioned to dark chuckles and then into full blown laughter.

"Is that all you got? If that's the case, we'll be here all day!" Hidan cackled.

'Fuck that he dies now,' more lightning sparked across the wire and engulfed Hidan's body. The silver-haired man just hung there idly, not affected in the slightest. "Come on surely the mighty Uchiha clan is better than this!" he yawned as electricity danced across his body.

Frustrated, Sasuke cut the current. If he couldn't electrocute him, he would burn him with the fires of a thousand suns. He took the wire off his finger and placed it in his mouth, clenching it in place with his teeth as he began shifting rapidly through hand signs.

"Oh we're going to try again? What fun!" Hidan exclaimed excitedly.

Sasuke finished sign weaving, his hands settled into the Tiger seal as he took a deep inhale. He could feel the chakra as it mixed with the air in his lungs. _**"Fire Style: Dragon Flame Jutsu!"**_ Flames expelled from Sasuke's mouth and the deathly inferno danced across the wire heading straight for Hidan.

The wall of fire slammed into the tree, completely engulfing its prisoner. The roar of the flames was too great for Sasuke to make out any sounds that might've come from the nukenin. Sasuke held the steady flame for another ten seconds and using the last of his breath, he exhaled sharply, causing a shockwave of fire to shoot forth across the wire and create a mini-explosion when it met its target.

The loud bang caused a small shockwave to spread through the area and Sasuke covered his eyes with his sleeves to prevent debris from getting in them. _'He must be melted by now. That HAD to do it,'_ Sasuke thought catching his breath as he looked at the smokescreen that used to be Hidan. He had never sustained it for that long and figured that no one would be able to survive that.

There was a sharp tug on the wire that told him otherwise and it was ripped violently from his mouth, cutting his tongue in the process. Sasuke spit out the blood accumulating in his mouth, disgusted with the irony taste, and looked over at the tree in confusion. The smoke cleared to reveal a smirking naked, Hidan standing there holding the kunai which the wire was attached to, a deep hole in the middle of his chest.

'Damn, he pushed himself straight through my sword!' Sasuke cursed as he glared a silver-haired man across from him. Hidan stood there smirking as he wound the wire attached to the kunai around his hand, not caring on bit for his lack of modesty. It wasn't his fault all his clothes were incinerated.

"My turn," He chuckled darkly.

* * *

><p>Shikamaru had been watching Sasuke's fight intently, commending the boy on his swordsmanship and creativity. He hadn't expected the drop kick that pinned Hidan to the tree though. Such a move didn't seem like Sasuke's style. That was something he expected out of Naruto more than anything.<p>

Shikamaru tensed when he saw Hidan was unaffected by Sasuke's lightning jutsu. He had actually started to believe that nothing could kill the man, at least until Sasuke unleashed a barrage of flames that surely smoldered the nukenin. But that hope was quickly washed away when the man appear out of the smoke, naked at that.

He was perturbed at see the sight of a naked man but he noticed something was wrong. Sasuke had spit out something red, blood he presumed, and Hidan was now dripping something into his mouth as a confused Sasuke watched on.

"Oh no…this is bad!" Shikamaru exclaimed shooting to his feet.

"Shika, what are you talking about?" Ino asked confused.

"Hidan somehow got some of Sasuke's blood and he just consumed it!"

Ino's face paled and the other three spectators looked at him confused. "Shikamaru what's wrong?" Kakashi asked. He hadn't been briefed on the other man's abilities and was only told not to let him get any of your blood.

"It's some weird technique that he uses. He ingests your blood and draws a strange symbol on the ground. His skin turns black with white markings. Any damage that he sustains is also inflicted upon the person whose blood he consumed. They become bound only Hidan feels no pain, unlike the victim," the pineapple haired boy explained.

"So he's basically a human voodoo doll?" Kakashi asked.

"More or less."

"Is there any way to disrupt the link between the two?"

"I'm not exactly sure but I think that it only works while he's inside the symbol."

"Wait Sasuke-niichan is in trouble?" Tsuki asked, fear in her voice. They had their differences and she annoyed him to no end, but she still cared about him, even if she wouldn't admit it. He was like another big brother.

"If he doesn't act soon, I'm afraid he will be."

* * *

><p>Sasuke was confused as to why the man consumed his blood but knew something wasn't right when his skin turned pitched black and skeletal-like white marks appeared over his body. Hidan did a few quick hand signs and place his hand on the ground. A blood red triangle inscribed in a circled appeared beneath his feet.<p>

Sasuke had been musing on how to go about the situation. He felt naked without his sword, which was still lodged in the tree behind Hidan. He decided to act quickly before the man could try anything. _**"Chidori Sharp Spear!"**_

He conjured a Chidori in his left hand that expanded, lengthening to the shaped of a katana. A smirk grace his lips as he finally completed his new technique. It had been much easier after he analyzed and broke down the other guys lightning jutsu. Sasuke rushed forward, lightning blade in hand, intent on severing the nukenin's head.

"Ah, ah, ah! I wouldn't do that if I were you," Hidan warned. Despite this, Sasuke kept speeding towards him, ignoring his comment. _'Well, it is better to learn through experience,'_ He grinned. He took the kunai and stabbed himself in the left hand.

Searing pain shot through Sasuke's arm and he stopped immediately. The Chidori dispersed, revealing a bloodied hand with a large hole in his palm. _'What hell is going on?'_ Sasuke thought as he stared at his quivering hand, watching the blood ooze out.

"I tried to tell you but you Uchiha and your arrogance. You see, we're bound now. Anything I feel, you feel. Observe," Hidan said as he took his finger and jammed it into the hole in his chest, poking around forcefully. Sasuke cringe at the pain in his chest. I felt as if someone was scratching his lungs from the inside, making it difficult to breath.

"I bet you're really proud of those sword skills of yours aren't you? Let's see you do them now!" Hidan barked, jerking the kunai across his right upper arm. A large gash appeared in the same spot on Sasuke, running from his shoulder to his elbow. Sasuke mere grunted in pain and cursed as he started to lose feeling in his arm.

He hadn't shown any weakness beforehand and he wasn't going to start now. He shot forth at Hidan, formulating a plan. "Can't have any more of that can we now?" Hidan said cutting his calf muscle. Sasuke lost feeling in his leg and he tripped and fell to the ground, sliding to a stop a few feet from the nukenin.

Before Sasuke could even try to push himself up, he felt a cut across his abdomen, a new hole in his thigh and finally something jammed into his side. Judging from the painful and uncomfortable feeling that linger, he figure Hidan must've left whatever he stabbed him with and was twisting it around in the new wound.

"And last but not least," Hidan said, violently ripping the kunai from his side. Sasuke did his best to suppress a yell. "Those precious eyes of yours," Hidan finished, bringing the blade to eye-level. "We'll see how mighty you Uchiha without your damned Sharingan!"

"_**Wind Style: Gale Force!"**_

Hidan was distracted by the small voice and before he could react, he was knocked out of the circle by a rather strong gust of wind. He stumbled back a few feet and the Jashin symbol on the ground disappeared. Hidan shot an angry glare at the unknown assailant, only to find there was no one there.

There was only Sasuke, who lay on the ground breathing heavily. He felt a strong pressure hit his chest earlier that knocked the air out of his lungs but he felt oddly strange. He could no longer feel a foreign presence in his body. 'The bound is broken but what is she doing here! Naruto's gonna have both of our heads if he finds out about this!'

He knew that small child-like voice all too well. He was used to her just popping out of nowhere on him and yelling, but what he didn't understand was what she was doing here or how she even got there. Last time he checked, she was supposed to back at the Southern Hideout.

"Show yourself damn it!" Hidan roared. He didn't know who interrupted his sacrifice but they would pay dearly. His answer was a gash that sudden appeared across his back. He spun around but there was no one there. Another cut suddenly found its way to his shin. He whipped around swinging the kunai but only hit air.

"FIGHT ME LIKE A MAN YOU BASTARD!" Hidan roared in frustration. Suddenly cut began to appear all over his body. He swung the kunai frantically but hit nothing every time. It was like trying to swat a fly with just a pencil.

Possibly a slip up of the unknown attacker but He could here childish giggles coming from behind him. When he listened closely, he was able to pick up the faint pitter patter of feet coming at him. He thrust his open arm forward and grabbed on to what he believed was a small neck. He squeezed tightly and lifted whatever it was into the air.

A tiny blonde girl dressed in all black materialized in his hand, struggling to break free of his grip. He looked down to see a blue kodachi lying on the ground beneath her.

"Let me go you big meanie!" Tsuki yelled trying to escape the man's vice grip.

"You got to be kidding me? It's just a little brat!" Hidan yelled in disbelief.

"I'm not a brat I'm a ninja you big stupid head!" Tsuki screamed defiantly.

"You like to play ninja huh? Well now comes the best part: you get to die like one!" Hidan cackled. He raised the kunai high in the air and brought it down on the helpless girl. Tsuki was too frozen in fear to 'Oh no! Help me big brother!' she screamed in her head as squeezed he eyes shut. She waited for the cold metal to hack her to pieces but it never happened. Confused, she opened her eyes and gasped at what she saw.

The tip of the kunai was a mere four inches from her nose. There stood Sasuke, surrounded in a dark purple aura holding Hidan's wrist, preventing him following through with his attack.

"Impossible! There's no way you ca-"

His face was reacquainted with the Uchiha's fist and he was sent careening away, letting go of Tsuki in the process. Tsuki dropped to the ground in a heap, coughing vigorously. She stabilized her breathing and looked up to see Sasuke standing over her glaring at the form of Hidan prying himself out of yet _another_ tree. The black flame marks of his "Monster mode" covered his whole body.

"I'VE HAD ENOUGH OF THIS! I'M GOING TO FINISH YOU OFF RIGHT HERE, RIGHT NOW!" Hidan bellowed. Tsuki leapt to her feet and latched on to Sasuke's coat, hiding behind him, but leaning out just far enough to see the enraged nukenin.

"Tsuki…" Sasuke's calm voice came.

"Y-Yes?" She replied nervously. She knew by the look on his face that he was really angry and now was not the time to provoke him.

"Retrieve my sword from that tree over there and go stand by the other," He said, never taking his eye off of the rapidly approaching figure of Hidan.

Tsuki looked over and sure enough, saw his sword embedded in a tree. "Ok!" she nodded becoming translucent and taking off.

"TIME FOR YOU TO DIE!" Hidan roared as he drew nearer to Sasuke, who just stood there unperturbed, Sharingan ablaze. "I couldn't agree with you more," came the raven-haired boy's cold reply.

Hidan swung hard at the younger boy's neck, but Sasuke spun under it and delivered a hard elbow into his ribcage. Hidan grunted but Sasuke wasn't done. He thrust a powerful palm strike into Hidan's solar plexus, knocking every trace of air from the man's lungs.

Hidan stumbled back gasping and Sasuke was upon him even faster than before. A hard sweep kick knock the silver-haired man off his feet and a heavy roundhouse sent him into the air. Hidan sailed forward before beginning to fall back to the ground. He never saw Sasuke reappear beneath him holding a menacing purple orb.

"_**Rasengan!"**_

With the help of the curse mark, he was able to conjure the ball of chakra at the same rate Naruto could and like the Chidori, it's power was increased greatly. He drove it into Hidan's back and the man was sent skywards once again with a menacing crack. Sasuke landed back on the ground and looked up to see the nude form of Hidan ascending rapidly into the heavens.

Without Naruto's help, there was only one way to catch up to him. He slipped his arms through his shirt letting it hang limply at his sides. The black flames across his body expanded until they cover him completely, leaving his skin a dark, sickly grey and his hair along and pale indigo. A black four-pointed star covered the bridge of his nose and the demonic wings sprout forth from his back on again. With a mighty leap, Sasuke took to the skies, intent on ending the silver-haired banshee's life for good this time.

When Hidan finally recovered, he found himself high above the earth again. He berated himself for letting it happen again and for letting a teenager best him…_again._ All of a sudden he sensed a massive spike in energy approaching him rapidly and looked down only to catch an uppercut to the jaw.

Sasuke had caught up to the nukenin before he even began to descend and sent him up a few more feet. He quickly followed up his punch with a rapid series of spinning roundhouses that sent Hidan farther upward with each blow. Sasuke delivered one last kick that sent the man sailing. Hidan continued to rise for a few seconds until he slowed and finally reached the pinnacle of his flight.

Less than a second later, two lightning cover hands carved into his chest, piercing both of his lungs. He felt the hands grasp the back of his ribcage and he was pulled higher into the sky. He was able to register black demon with long hair lifting him through blurring eyes. Sasuke, deciding he'd gone high enough, stopped his ascension.

He sent one last glare at the silver-haired man. "What the hell are you?" Hidan cried out. **"Your Herald into the afterlife," **Sasuke replied darkly. He took in as much air into his lungs as possible and mixed it with chakra. He suddenly ripped his hands from Hidan body and a massive fire dragon exploded from his mouth, slamming into the nukenin at point blank range.

Hidan, caught in the mouth of the fiery beast, began the long two kilometer descent back to earth. But Sasuke wasn't finished with him yet. A Chidori erupted from both his hands, slightly larger than usual. They were soon tainted black from the influence of the curse mark. Sasuke gave one final flap of his wings before gracefully falling, chasing after the angry fireball that was racing back towards the ground.

The fireball that was Hidan was rapidly approaching the ground below and Sasuke was right there behind him. When he was just under a hundred meters from the earth, Sasuke began to spin rapidly, recreating his lightning twister from earlier. The spectator below couldn't help but marvel at the sight of a massive dragon head forged of fire roaring forth from the heavens with a black tornado of electricity chasing after it.

The fireball exploded into the dirt and flames shot upwards from the impact. Almost immediately afterwards, the cyclone of lightning crashed into the direct center of the crater. Sasuke drilled into Hidan's limp body, shredding it in the process. The others were captivated by the beautiful sight of the flames dancing up the sides of the tornado as it barred deeper into the crater, amazed at how something so beautiful could be so deadly.

A few seconds passed and the twister began to die down and the flames dispersed. When everything finally cleared, the only thing left visible was a now normal Sasuke standing alone, staring at something beneath him.

Sasuke loomed over the few remains that used to make up Hidan. His torso was nonexistent, completely torn to shreds. His legs were off to the side thrashing about wildly from nerve endings being snapped from the spinal cord. The only remaining trace of the man was his severed head, a look of fear and anguish forever etched onto his cold, stony face.

Sasuke slumped to the ground suddenly, finally succumbing to exhaustion. He'd used the last of his chakra in that attack to ensure that the bastard actually died this time. If he found a way to come back after that then he deserved to live.

"Sasuke!"

Sasuke groaned at hearing his name called, knowing full well what was coming next. A short moment later, the chibi figure was Tsuki slammed into him, throwing he arms around his neck and knocking him off balance.

"Oh my god that was so cool the way you…"

Sasuke just sat there listening to the girls rant about fireballs, lightning, and "monster modes" he wanted nothing more than to just go home, sleep in bed all day, munch on a bowl full of rice balls. Tomatoes would suffice too. 'Naruto hurry the hell up so we can go home,' Sasuke thought, lamenting every waking second he had to spend there.

* * *

><p>"Latios hit it with Luster Purge!" Naruto called out as they flew on a collision course with the monstrous mask. The dragon adhered to his master's orders and began to gather aura in its mouth. It charged up the energy in the in the form of a small bright ball of light. The ball of energy constricted slightly before bursting, launching a destructive beam of purple light. The mask was powerless to evade the laser as it completely eradicated its body, leaving nothing in its wake. "Hell yeah god job boy!" Naruto exclaimed, patting the dragon's sides.<p>

But unbeknownst to him, the mask survived. At the last second, it discarded its body, leaving behind an empty shell. It swiftly fell back to the ground, landing directly in its creator's hand. _'He's a lot more trouble than I originally thought, especially with that strange summon animal of his. Looks like I'm going to have to go all out,'_

Kakazu place the mask back on his back and began his transformation. Thick black threads of iron sprouted forth from the many crevices all over his body. The threads spread outwards and formed a menacing mane that ran all the way down his backside. His arms were detached and dislocated, still connected to his body by threads. This was the full extent of his Earth Grudge Fear.

Naruto had witnessed the gruesome transformation from his vantage point in the sky and was thoroughly disgusted. He wasn't sure exactly what that jutsu did but he did know for sure that it was Earth-based, which gave him an idea._ 'Monkey, Dragon, Rat, Bird, Ox, Snake, Dog, Tiger, Monkey,'_ Naruto said to himself, switching between each corresponding hand sign.

'Alright dad let's see if you were right,' Naruto leapt off Latios' back as he swooped over Kakazu. Naruto will the lightning to his hand just like Sasuke told him but it still wasn't working. He concentrated more and more but felt nothing.

Kakazu saw the boy falling straight on him. "He's either really bold or really stupid," he said to himself as the lightning mask appeared at his shoulder. _**"Lightning Style: False Darkness!"**_ Lightning arced outwards wildly from the mask's mouth before concentrating into fine-point, spear that shot upwards.

Naruto cursed seeing the attack approaching him as he continued to try and call on his dormant nature. 'Come on, Come on! Damn it dad, you screwed me over,' Naruto reach deep down within himself one last in search of his hidden power. This was his final shot.

There was a strange sensation deep inside him. It was small, but he could feel it nonetheless. In a final act of desperation, He pulled on that sensation, wrenching it forth from the darkness and into the light. The sensation seemed to explode within him, spreading outwards and coursing through every cell in his body. Naruto was nearly overwhelmed by the new surge of power.

But he had to focus, his life depended on it. He attempted to call forth his dormant lightning chakra one last time. The new energy he felt inside him circulated into his arm and much to his delight, golden electricity sparked to life in his palm. _**"Chidori!"**_ Unlike the usual sound of birds chirping that accompanied the technique, the sound it gave off was something akin to the screeching of an eagle. Naruto extended his arm out at the last possible second and his jutsu clashed with Kakazu's.

Kakashi watched on in disbelief as Naruto performed his signature jutsu. Not only could he do but his was different. It was golden and the sound it made was very different. He had only since this once before. 'It's just like him…'

Much to everyone's surprise, not only had Naruto's Chidori stopped the spear of lightning, it began to carve right through it. Kakazu's eyes widened as he watched the boy slice right down the middle of his attack like a hot knife through butter. Naruto was equally astounded but he wasn't complaining. As he descended upon the man, going straight through his attack, he formed a rasengan in his open hand.

Naruto fell straight into Kakazu, piercing the lightning mask in the process, destroying the heart within. He shoved the rasengan straight at Kakazu's head but the man moved it out the way at the last second. He jumped away from the boy as he crashed into the ground. The rasengan exploded against the ground, digging up the ground in the surrounding area.

Both men became distracted by loud explosion and looked across the battlefield to see a massive cyclone of black lightning drilling into a pit of fire. Naruto knew of only one thing that made black lightning like that and figured Sasuke must be nearing the end of his battle. No man alive could have survived that.

'_Fuck this I'm gonna finish this now!'_ Naruto growled in annoyance. He was going to use his newest jutsu. It wasn't battle tested yet but he had to try it sometime. He formed a slightly larger than normal rasengan and slowly began to mix in wind chakra. This was the most crucial part. He had to mix it at the proper rate or else it failed. To slow and it wouldn't form; too fast and it backfired violently.

Kakazu saw the boy preparing for some kind of attack and by the looks of it, it wasn't human friendly. He was too far away to try and stop him so he opted to stay away.

A high-pitch bell-like screech, signifying the completion of the jutsu, echoed throughout the forest catching everybody's attention. They all went wide-eyed at the sight of Naruto holding what looked like a giant, white fuma shuriken. It continued to screech loudly as it rotated in his palm at high speeds.

'_What…the fuck…is that?'_ Kakashi, Sasuke and Kakazu all thought at the same time.

'_That looks…troublesome…'_ Shikamaru moaned.

'_Just how strong is Naruto?'_ Ino and Yumiko thought together.

'_COOL!'_ Tsuki gushed with stars in her eyes.

Naruto smirked as he successfully completed his technique. If it actually worked, it would easily be the strongest jutsu in his arsenal. He shot forward full speed heading directly at the nukenin. Kakazu was stunned at the boy's sudden burst of speed. Naruto was upon him in seconds. Kakazu shook from his stupor and leapt back when Naruto was a few feet away.

Unfortunately, Naruto wasn't giving him any breathing room. Kakazu cursed as he kept backpedalling. The hands of fate seemed to turn against as he backed up into a tree. Kakazu cursed as he no time to evade the giant shuriken thrust at him. Mere inches away from his chest, Naruto's jutsu suddenly dissipated. Their eyes met with the same confused gaze but Kakazu recovered quickly and slammed his fist into the blonde boy's face, sending him hurtling across the field.

"BIG BROTHER!" came Tsuki voice from the sidelines.

'_That was too close. If that would've hit me, I would've been done for sure. I'd better place it safe and switch to long range mode,_' Kakazu thought, cursing fate's sick sense of humor.

Naruto skidded across the ground before finally crashing through a hollow tree. Naruto stayed buried within the tree as he tried to put together a plan. _'Damn it only last ten seconds and since I can't throw it, I'll have to get close with obviously won't be an option. If only there was a way to get in close quickly without riding Latios. I refuse to put him in danger. Fuck this is so frustrating!'_

Naruto slammed his fist against the inner wall of the tree in frustration and heard an echoing clink resound throughout the large withering oak. He looked down at his feet to see a kunai lying on the ground before him. But it wasn't just any kunai; it was his father's kunai he had picked up from earlier. "Must've fallen out of my pouch," Naruto said bending over to pick it up. When he touched it, he felt another strange sensation, but this time from the kunai. It was as if it was resonating with the chakra within his body.

At the same time, a mass of information came rushing forth into his brain. Naruto clench his head, confused as to the meaning of the new intelligence. It only lasted a few seconds before quickly subsiding. "What the hell was that?" Naruto queried. But then his father's words sudden played in his head. _"I've also instilled the knowledge of the Flying Thunder God Technique upon you. You now have the understanding to use it but you still must practice," _Naruto looked at the kunai he held in his hand and suddenly, the new rush of information made sense to him.

'_This is how dad did it! He put him on chakra into the kunai and it acted as a beacon for the jump. The user locks onto his chakra within the kunai and enters a void where he is transported there instantaneously! This is perfect!' "You now have the knowledge and understanding…but you still must practice,"_ His father's voice echoed in his head again. "Sorry dad, desperate times call for desperate measures,"

Kakazu watched the jinchūriki step out of the tree within a triumphant, yet determined look on his face. He noticed him beginning to form another ball of chakra in his hands. _'He's going to try for it again? Foolish boy, I know to keep my distance now!'_ He was a good one hundred yards from the boy and if he was correct, that jutsu only had of life-span of roughly ten seconds.

Naruto's jutsu announced its arrival once again with another bell-like screech. He made sure he had a tight hold on his father's kunai and shot forth in at the missing-nin. While he was charging up his technique, he drew upon some of his lightning and was able to transfer it into the kunai. He didn't know how long he could hold on to the connection so he was going as fast as possible. He was also nearly drained of chakra. His jutsu required so much that it took a huge toll on him. He couldn't fail this time.

Kakazu saw the bow coming for him and quickly shifted through a few hand signs. _**"Earth Style: Destructive Rising Rock Pillars!" **_Giant rock spires began to erupt from the earth surrounding Naruto. The blonde avoided each and every one of the stalagmites but they just kept popping up, making it difficult to maintain his current speed.

'Yes, only five more seconds!' Kakazu smirked triumphantly.

Naruto curse, knowing the intent of the spires was to slow him down and he was nearly out of time. "It's now or never!" Naruto dodge yet another pillar and before anymore could rise, he launched the kunai straight for Kakazu. The kunai whistled as it sailed through the air on a collision course with the nukenin's skull. The ex-waterfall-nin merely smirked as he moved his head out of the way, letting the knife fly by harmlessly.

"Looks like you failed boy!" Kakazu laughed.

"I'd beg to differ," came a voice behind him.

* * *

><p>Naruto didn't even know how to explain the experience he was going through right now. The moment kunai missed its mark, he called out to the chakra within. And that's when the world around him froze. Kakazu, the spectators off to the side, Latios, the birds, and even his jutsu. Everything was completely inanimate. He would've pondered more but he felt something pulling him along.<p>

It was some invisible force that was slowly propelling him through the air, completely ignoring the laws of gravity, straight at Kakazu. As was confused at first but he slowly began to understand. This was the void one traveled through when using the Flying Thunder God Technique. But it wasn't really much of a different void; more like everything just stopped moving. But Naruto knew that wasn't possible. He figured that nothing actually stopped moving but that he was moving at a speed so great that everything else seemed to be frozen in time.

His theory was confirmed as he noticed that as he drew nearer to Kakazu, life slowly began to return to the world around him. The closer he got, the faster things began to move. He was confused when he passed Kakazu but then remembered that it was the kunai he was being drawn to, not the nukenin. Naruto reached out for it and the moment his fingers grasped it, everything was set in full motion once again, and the jutsu in his hand roared back to life.

"Looks like you failed boy!" He heard Kakazu yell behind him. Now was his shot! "I'd beg to differ!" Naruto said spinning himself around to face him. _**"Wind Style: Rasenshuriken!" **_Shock didn't even have time to register on Kakazu's face as Naruto drove the giant chakra shuriken into his back. Kakazu found himself being shot forward from the force of the blow and he and the jutsu went sailing through the air.

Naruto what as ball resting in the center of his jutsu began to constrict. All truth be told, he didn't know exactly what his jutsu did but he knew it should've been rather explosive; the training with the Wind Style: Rasengan proved that much. He was actually kind of disappointed with this version. It was much bigger and he'd hoped for a bigger bang, not _this._

As if on cue, the center orb ruptured with a concussive bang and spontaneously expanded to mass proportions. Everyone watch in awe as Kakazu was engulfed by the large dome of wind, easily 20 meters in diameter. His body sat in the center, twitching like crazy, much to everyone's confusion. Well almost everyone.

Sasuke and Kakazu, with the help of their Sharingan, saw what was truly happening to the nukenin. Tiny, practically microscopic, blades of wind danced around within the dome, assaulting Kakazu's body on the cellular level. The number of attacks to his body were to many in number for the Sharingan to count.

'_When did he come up with this? And how the hell did he move like that?'_ Sasuke watched on in amazement.

'_T-That was the Flying Thunder God…but how?'_ Kakashi thought.

Everyone else, even Naruto himself, marveled at his jutsu. The shockwave it gave off after detonating was greater than any wind they'd felt in their life before. Yumiko, Shikamaru, Ino stared disbelievingly, never thinking such a technique existed. Tsuki's eyes twinkled with stars and she was practically drooling rainbows as she fawned over her brother's new jutsu, plotting how she was going to get him to teach it to her.

Naruto landed back on the ground and stared upwards, admiring his work. 'Now that's what I'm talking about!' He was too entranced to notice Latios appearing beside him, equally bewildered at his master's handiwork. Seconds later, the massive dome of wind dispersed and Kakazu's limp body fell to the ground. Naruto was tempted to bask in his victory but he noticed something was wrong.

'He's still alive?' he screamed in his head, noticing the faint rise and fall in the ninja's chest. Naruto was shocked beyond a doubt as to how someone could've survived that but stilled himself. He drew his sword from its sheathe and carefully made his way over to Kakazu's prone body, wary of any surprises.

As he got closer, he saw that the man wasn't moving, save for his chest and his eyelids, which blinked as he continued to stare upwards. "To think…I was beaten…by a mere child," He said in a raspy voice. Naruto, now standing over him, held his blade to his throat.

"You're a washed up old man. It's only natural for those of us in the younger generations surpass fossils like you."

"I suppose you're right…" Kakazu coughed. "My time here is done. I acknowledge your strength…Naruto Uzumaki. Do an old fossil a favor and end my torment," He pleaded. Lying there now was the greatest pain he'd ever experienced in all his ninety-one years and he couldn't see to die.

"I'll honor your request," Naruto said holding his sword above Kakazu's final heart. "May you find peace in the afterlife." With that, his blade pierced the man's chest cavity where his heart was. Kakazu's eyes began to glaze over as the life slowly faded from him.

"It's finally over," Naruto sighed, feeling a weight from his shoulders being removed. That was the hardest fight of his life and he had a feeling many more like it to come. The awaking of his dormant lightning nature and use of his father's technique convinced of his future now. The Akatsuki would continue to chase him down until they extracted the monster within him, and unleashed the terrors of Susanoo and Yomi upon the world. If wanted to stand any kind of chance, he'd have to get stronger.

"Big Brother!"

Naruto turned at hearing his name and saw the one joy in his life sprinting at him full speed. Tsuki took off from the group the moment she deemed it was safe. She closed in on the older blonde and jumped into his arms, hugging him tightly.

"I knew you could do it!" Tsuki said snuggling against him.

"I always keep my promises remember?" Naruto said returning her embrace.

Yumiko couldn't help but smile at the scene of the siblings hugging. She had chased after Tsuki ran off, calling out to her that it wasn't safe. She had already failed Naruto once earlier when the girl managed to sneak off. She'd put herself in harm's way and nearly died. _"I couldn't let Sasuke-niichan die!" _was the girls excuse for her brash behavior.

Naruto noticed Yumiko standing there and set down the blonde bundle in his arms. "Thanks for watching over her. She can be quite a handful sometimes," Naruto smiled at her, ruffling his sister's hair, who responded by sticking her tongue out at him.

"No problem Naruto-kun," Yumiko said nervously. She didn't want to mention the incident from earlier.

"Sasuke!" Naruto called out suddenly, confusing her. She turned around to see the raven-haired boy staggering towards them. His wounds hadn't healed completely and he'd have to get Kabuto to take a look at them.

"What was that light show you put on earlier? I've never seen anything like it!" Naruto asked, intrigued by his friend's technique.

Sasuke just looked at him as if he'd grown another head. "Forget that, tell me where did you get a jutsu like _that?_" Sasuke asked.

Naruto's ego grew three times in size. "Well you know how it is; I'm just good like that," the blonde said arrogantly, much to Sasuke's annoyance.

"Yeah, my brother's the greatest!" Tsuki cosigned cheerfully. The blonde siblings exchanged a jovial high five.

"Naruto…"

Naruto and Sasuke were on the defensive while Yumiko nearly leapt out of her skin. Her nerves were already running high from witnessing a shinobi battle royale and the last thing she needed was people sneaking up on her.

Kakashi immediately noticed how Naruto's cheerful demeanor vanished when he called his name. He couldn't he blamed him. The last time they met he'd hauled the boy off back to Konoha. But this time was different.

"Whoa calm down, I just wanted to talk," Kakashi said waving his arms defensively, giving one of his famous eye smiles. Naruto was skeptical at first but something within him told him he could trust the man.

"Alright make it quick then," Naruto said sheathing his sword. He'd at least hear him out, just as long as it wasn't a plea for them to return to Konoha.

"First off, I'd like to say I'm glad you guys are doing well. You both just up and disappeared you made a lot of people worry. I'd also like to say proud of you guys. You've gone from gnawing at each other's throats to taking on S-Class nukenin. You both have grown much past what you were in your genin days and I'm sure your fathers would be proud to see you now," He said. He took in their differing reactions. Sasuke just scowled at the mention of his father while Naruto was passive, most likely hiding his true emotions.

"Well, that nice and all but we have to go," Naruto said turning to leave. He wanted to get back home and out the presence of Konoha-nin as soon as possible, even if they were his old sensei and friends.

"Naruto wait, at least tell me one thing," Kakashi beckoned.

Naruto stopped in his tracks but never turned to face him.

"How…did you do it? How do you know your father's jutsu?" Kakashi asked. He was positive that the technique died along with his sensei.

"Jiraiya taught it to me long ago; you know this," Naruto replied tonelessly.

"Naruto, you know which one I'm talking about."

"Oh that one…My old man taught it to me," Naruto replied.

Confusion quickly washed over Kakashi as he tried to decipher what the boy said. It was _impossible_ for Minato to teach him since he was dead, but it made since in a way since he was the only one who knew it. Minato never kept records on it or the Rasengan. "Naruto that doesn't make any sen-"

He stopped talking when he saw that he was alone. He had zoned out and noticed never noticed the four of them depart. Kakashi sighed, finally starting to feel the effects of fatigue. He looked back to his team to see a frantic Ino checking over a newly awakened and drowsy Chōji while a Shikamaru lie on his back, lazily watching the clouds. He stuck his hands in his pockets and slowly made his way over to his team while he recounted the events from the battle before.

'_They sure have come a long way.'_

* * *

><p>50,547 characters, 10, 984 words, 22 pages.<p>

My fingers damn near fell off typing this! This is the longest chapter I ever posted! Do NOT expect this to become a regular thing.

Tell me what you thought of the fight please! I hunger for feedback!

Also, this chapter ends the first part of the story. Think of it as a sort of introductory arc. The REAL story begins when I came back. Judging by rate I'm going (which everyone seems to be comfortable with) and the influx of ideas I got from Gento70 (Who everyone should thank. All the side stories and a few select elements were his ideas. I mean he's practically co writing this!), this story will definitely break 200k words. I'm already at 80k!

Before I go, I leave you with this: Anyone who guesses the pairing, I will answer any REASONABLE question about the story, even if it hasn't happened yet. But you only get ONE try and it has to be one girl (No "Her, her or ,her") and you have to PM it to me. If you leave it in a review it doesn't count. And don't tell anyone! If I get an influx of correct guess I'll know someone snitched and I won't answer anymore. This offer runs until the...16th. After that, I'll stop answering questions after then. Doing this as compensation for going away for so long.

So everyone _**R+R**_and I'll see you again in a few weeks! ^^


	12. Moving On

**Hits: 24,904**

**Favs: 155**

**Alerts: 139**

SURPRISE, GUESS WHO'S BACK! :D

*Crowd cheers emphatically*

I know it's been awhile but it was the end of the school year and I wanted to just go ahead and knock out the rest of my work. And now, I'm finally free of the diabolical imprisonment that is public education! I didn't really take my mom seriously when she said high school would fly by but she was not kidding.

And there's been some changes to FanFiction since I last got on. You best believe I'm going to draw a cover for this story. speaking of which, I had the best lucid dream ever! I dozed off while playing Ultimate Ninja Storm 2 and I started playing, my chars were in the game! I was so surprised and excited that I played for hours. Then I got a bright idea and turned on the cable and there was an anime adaptation of my story too, intro and everything! I saw majority of the story line play out before my eyes! And then I woke up D:

I know you guys visualize the story differently than I do, but if you could only see what I see...Your eyes would explode from sheer awesomeness O.O

Any who, Now I have all kinds of time to work on the story. Well sorta...

Nothing else to say really except thanks for being patient and here's...

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter XII: Moving On<strong>

"And that concludes my report," Kakashi finished with a sigh. He'd just finished explaining to Tsunade the details of their encounter with the Akatsuki agents and Naruto and Sasuke a few days ago. The blonde Hokage was listening intently the whole time and hadn't interrupted him once, much to his astonishment. Usually, she was eager to hear any news concerning Naruto. Her quiet demeanor was beginning to unnerve him slightly.

Tsunade was still processing the information delivered to her. Firstly, the boys were doing alright, or at least they were safe. Then there were the matters concerning Naruto. Just how in the world did he manage to create a jutsu that attacked on the cellular level? An even better question is where the hell did he learn the Flying Thunder God? That technique was supposed to have died with his father. And there was another thing that didn't add up.

"This little girl you mentioned earlier…who is she exactly?" Tsunade asked suddenly.

Kakashi scratched the back of his head as he attempted to word his response. Frankly, he didn't believe it himself. "Well you see from what I gathered, she's…his sister." An eerie silence filled the room. And Kakashi found himself shifting uncomfortably under the Hokage's stare.

"Kakashi this is no time for jokes. You know just as well as I that Naruto is an only child," She said.

"Yes I know that. But the girl, Tsuki if I heard right, addressed Naruto as "Big Brother" and he responded to her as such. I don't know the specifics of their relationship, but judging from the interaction I witnessed between the two, the bond they share is deep," The silver-haired jōnin explained.

Tsunade nodded her head in understanding. But she was still baffled as to where the little girl cam from. Naruto was his parent's only child and they died the night of his birth which made it highly illogical that they are related by blood. Naruto must've met her along the way somewhere and she idolized for him kind nature. At least that's what she hoped. The Naruto she saw only seemed cold and angry, but she couldn't blame him. But this Tsuki character piqued her interest and she couldn't wait to the day that they'd meet. '_For Naruto's sake, this better be the "she" he was talking about,'_

Kakashi stood there as the Hokage had a mental debate. He wanted nothing more than to go home and pass out for a few days. The last three days had taken quite a toll on his health, physically _and_ mentally. That fight had left him drained and if Naruto and Sasuke hadn't' have shown up, there's a good chance that he wouldn't be standing here right now.

But at least he got to see his former students and how much they've grown over the years. He was truly proud of them. Orochimari might be a senile, old shinobi hell bent on gaining immortality, but he sure knew how to train a shinobi. And Naruto's so called "sister" had intrigued him.

"Alright that'll be all Kakashi, you are dismissed. Remain on standby until I state otherwise," Tsunade said sudden, interrupting his current train of thought. In his book, standby was a good thing. Standby meant off-duty, which meant no work, which meant more time to reach Icha Icha.

"Oh and Kakashi…" The silver-haired jōnin stopped upon hearing his name and turned to face the Hokage, who wore an apocryphal smile on her face. "Don't ever let me catch you reading that _smut _in my presence again. _**Or else…**_," She said in an all-too-cheery voice before going back to work. Kakashi paled considerably and a cold chill ran up the length of his spine. He hurriedly exited the Hokage's office and left her to her devices. He most certainly didn't want to find out the specifics of her underlying threat.

* * *

><p>"And then…bright flash…lit up the sky…really fast…giant dome of wind…had to be there!" Ino exclaimed breathlessly.<p>

The moment Team 10 returned to Konoha, Ino called together an emergency meeting of all their friends so that she could talk about the events of their recent mission. So here they were, resting beneath the shade of an oak tree on the edge of an empty training ground listening to blonde gossip. Only she was speaking too fast for anyone to make out anything comprehensible.

"Oi pig slow down! We can't understand a word you're saying," Sakura interrupted her friend. Ino glared at the rosette and was about to retaliate but Shikamaru spoke before her. "Long story short, we went to go fight the Akatsuki, we were getting our butts kicked, and then Naruto and Sasuke showed up and saved us," He explained. The whole situation was such a drag. He wanted nothing more than to just go home and hibernate for a few days.

"Wait, Naruto…and Sasuke…you saw them?" Sakura asked in disbelief. The mention of her teammates piqued her interest greatly in her friend's story.

"Yeah. They just appeared out of thin-air and rescued us and boy was it cool!" Ino squealed.

"Will you stop saying that so much! I don't want word getting around that were a team of damsels in distress," Shikamaru grumbled. "But yeah, they saved our skins. They've grown quite powerful."

"How did the two of them manage to do what a four-man cell, which included Kakashi-sensei, couldn't? Kiba asked. He was having a hard time believing them. They couldn't be _that _powerful. Could they?

"Well if you must know," Ino began sarcastically. "Sasuke took down Hidan. He's this deranged religious guy that goes on about sacrifices and whatnot. He was the one who killed Asuma-sensei. He does this weird thing where if he gets some of your blood, he drinks it and does this jutsu where your bodies become linked. Whatever happens to him, also happens to you," She explained.

"Sasuke fought him in a heated sword battle and he somehow managed to pin him to a tree where he electrocuted him _twice _and roasted him. But Hidan managed to live somehow and he got some of Sasuke's blood and began inflicting injury after injury on his body. He would've died had he not been saved,"

"By Naruto?" Neji asked.

"No, by his little sister," Shikamaru haphazardly. Confused and questioning stares fell upon the lazy-nin.

"Wait, Sasuke has a sister?" Tenten asked.

"No, Naruto does," Shikamaru corrected, bringing about more confusion.

"Naruto has a sister?" Sakura exclaimed. As far as everyone knew, he was an only child.

"Oh my god yes and she is the most adorable thing ever!" Ino gushed.

"Well what does she look like?" Tenten asked. She wasn't one for leaving thing solely up to imagination. Details where important every now and then.

Ino thought it over in her head for a second before coming up with a feasible answer. "Ok imagine a chibi Sakura, with long blonde hair, only much cuter."

Said rosette glared at the blonde but everyone got the basic idea. "Anyway she snuck off and save Sasuke, who went berserk on Hidan and sent him into the sky. Then something weird happened to Sasuke and his skin turn grey and he grew wings out his back. He disappeared into the sky only to return following a massive fireball while doing Kiba's little spinning thing," Ino finished.

"You mean my piercing fang? And how the hell does know it? That's _my_ clan's jutsu!" Kiba deadpanned.

"Yeah that and don't ask me, he just does, only his is much cooler. He had lightning coursing around him and he slammed right into the ground where the Hidan landed. A swirling vortex of lightning and fire shot up into the air and it was the most beautiful thing I ever saw."

"Wait so Naruto brought his younger sister to a fight against S-Class nukenin? Some big brother!" Tenten said with a hint of disgust. Yet another thing to add to the list of why he's a bad person.

"No, I don't think that's the case. He was surprised by her being there. My guess is she appeared with his dragon and-"

"What dragon?" Neji interrupted, much to Shikamaru's annoyance. How the hell was he supposed to tell the story when everyone asked a question every two seconds.

"I don't know some dragon that appeared whenever Naruto whistled. It literally appeared out of thin air and he was riding on its back. I bet it was the one that blew up the Hokage's office and help Naruto escaped."

"So like a summon animal?"

"I don't think so. Naruto never weaved any hand signs. He just whistled and it was there."

Neji was still rather puzzled about the idea but figure that was the most he could get seeing as they just witnessed it on a whim.

"Naruto-kun's flames out youth must burn with great intensity if he is able to tame a dragon!" Lee exclaimed

"How the hell did he manage to get a dragon? I thought they were just myths!" Kiba asked.

"How the hell should I know Kiba! And it's not like the ones you're thinking of. This one is much smaller, about the size of bull, and looks totally different," Shikamaru said. He was getting tired of the brunette's multitude of stupid questions.

"But how-"

"No, Kiba shut up! You've reached your question limit for the day. Just sit there, shut up and listen the story and so help me god if you ask one more question, I'm going to send you straight through the Hokage Monument!" Sakura yelled. She too was annoyed with the dog boy.

Kiba shrunk a little at the kunoichi's rant but remained silent none the less. He had seen Naruto get sent flying by her fist way to many times to know that she meant it. And that was _before_ she started training under the Hokage.

"W-What about Naruto-kun? H-How did he do?" Hinata asked timidly.

"Well one thing's for sure, he's still the most unpredictable ninja I know," Ino said. "Not only does he have a dragon, but he can do that lighting fist move like Sasuke."

"You mean the Chidori?" Sakura clarified.

"Yeah that, except his is a golden color. He can also teleport!"

"Ino for the last time, the body flicker technique isn't teleporting," Sakura sighed.

"Shut up I know that!" Ino huffed. _One _little mistake back in the academy and she just couldn't let it go. "I mean _actually_ teleport. As in here one minute and gone the next. That's how he defeated Kakazu. Well that and that chakra giant shuriken."

"Giant chakra shuriken?" Sakura raised an eyebrow.

"Yea it was like a massive fūma shuriken with a little ball in the center, which I think was a rasengan. Anyway it gave of this loud bell-like screech and Naruto teleported behind Kakazu and slammed it into his back. He took off flying and it exploded into a massive dome of wind. Kakashi-sensei said it was full of microscopic blades that attacked on a cellular level," Ino explained.

Sakura gawked at the description of her ex-teammate's jutsu. Kiba let out a low whistle. "Naruto sure has become a lot stronger," Neji said, speaking to no one in particular.

"Yes, his flames of youth burn far more intensely than ours, Sasuke-kun's too." Lee said.

"And they look so much hotter now! I mean Sasuke was a given, but Naruto of all people! He grew his hair out and looks almost exactly like the fourth now! And he looks so cute with his little sister," Ino exclaimed.

"Ino, not this again.." Sakura sighed.

"What? It's not my fault I have senses when it comes to boys. Sure Naruto was a loud annoying pest back then but now he's just so…calm, cool, and collected, not to mention protective,"

"Naruto's always been like that. Well not always, but he had his moments," Sakura said reminiscing over the times Naruto had come to her aid.

"Really I'm surprised you were able to see that with all your fawning over Sasuke," said Ino.

That struck a chord within Sakura. Sure she never gave Naruto the time of day and she was deeply regretted that now, but she wasn't about to sit here and take all the blame.

"Me? What about you? You only treated Naruto as an annoyance and look at you now, worshiping the ground he walks on! In fact, we're all guilty. We all wrote him off as inferior and never gave him a chance. We just simply put up with him, acknowledging his presence but not his existence!"

Everyone flinched at the rosette's words, partly because she was right. A pang of guilt struck the whole group as they thought back to their previous encounters with the blonde. It was just as she said. When they first met Naruto, they wrote him off as pathetic and weak. But then he proved himself and their views were changed. He had everyone's interests but his own in mind and he was a good friend.

"That may be true Sakura…but were not the ones who beat on him for every little thing!" Ino cried out. That cut Sakura deep. If there was one thing she regretted it was how awful she treated her teammate. It hurt deep inside to be reminded of how terrible of a person she used to be.

"You think I don't know that messed up…" Sakura began. "There isn't a day that goes by that I don't regret what I did! But that's in the past and I can't change it. That's why I want to make things better now. I _will_ find Naruto and Sasuke and I _will_ set things right!" A look of determination was dead set upon the rosette's features.

The group remained silent after that, each reflecting over the recent conversations. After a few minutes, Sakura rose to her feet. "I have to return to my shift at the hospital," She said before turning and walking off in the direction of the hospital.

The rest of the Konoha 10 exchanged farewells before scattering to the four winds to attend to their own business.

* * *

><p>Naruto was quietly making his way down one of the many hallways of the southern hideout. They'd arrived there just two days ago after safely depositing Yumiko in Yugakure. He could still remember the conversation they had before going their separate ways.<p>

"_Well, here we are! The Land of Hot Water's Yugakure!" Naruto announced as he, Tsuki, and Latios landed in a clearing not far off from the village gates. Sasuke came shortly behind on one of his hawk summons with Yumiko._

_They had hurriedly left the Forest of Dead Trees spent the last four hours flying non-stop to reach the village. By now, the sun was sitting low in the sky as dusk set upon the land. A red-faced Yumiko stepped back onto solid earth. She was rather terrified of heights and had spent the last hour of trip with her face pressed into Sasuke's back as she clung to him for dear life after they sped up._

_"Guess this means our journey together comes to an end here huh?" Yumiko asked._

"_Guess it does," Naruto replied._

"_Aww Miss Yumiko isn't coming with us?" Tsuki whined. The little blonde had gone rather fond of the older girl. She was only other female she'd ever come in contact with other than Karin and Guren._

"_You know that's not possible Tsuki. Besides, she has her own business to attend to and we have ours," Naruto said._

_Yumiko was a little downtrodden at the idea of leaving. She had enjoyed the time spent with the three of them. Naruto was one of the nicest people she'd ever met, Tsuki was like the little sister she never had, and Sasuke was…Sasuke. _

_She still couldn't figure out the enigma that was Sasuke Uchiha. He just remained silent most of the time and only conversed with Naruto, and on rare occasions, Tsuki. As much as she hated to admit it, she was drawn to the boy. It was just something about him but she couldn't quite put her finger on it. If only the boy would just open up and stop being such an ass…_

"_Thanks again Naruto, I really appreciate it," Yumiko said bowing humbly._

"_Aww don't worry about it. It's the least I could do after you took care of us and everything," Naruto grinned placing his hands behind his head. Yumiko smiled at the blonde before her. Something about his smile was just heartwarming._

_She heard shuffling and turned to see Tsuki pestering Sasuke about something. "Say it."_

"_No."_

"_Say it!"_

"_No, leave me alone!"_

"_Naruto said Miss Yumiko helped you guys out so you better say it!" Tsuki bellowed. Sasuke was looming over her but she stood strong. Sasuke turned to Naruto for help only to find said blonde blissfully ignoring them as he whistled nonchalantly. He looked down at the smaller blonde to see the serious look on her face._

"_If you don't say it then I'll tell her about the time that you-"_

"_Alright!" Sasuke yelled. The last thing he needed was to be reminded of __**that**__. He turned and walked straight up to Yumiko, stopping right in front of her._

"_Thank you Yumiko," He said._

"_For…" came Tsuki's voice behind him._

"_For taking care of Me and Naruto," He sighed._

"_And for having beautiful eyes."_

"_And for having beautiful eyes."_

_Yumiko turned a bright cherry red and as soon as Sasuke realized what he said he did too. The embarrassed raven-haired boy hurriedly walked back to his mount and took to the skies. Naruto and Tsuki shared a laugh at the two teens' expense. _

Naruto's train of thought was interrupted when he felt something slithering up his leg. Less than three seconds later, a black serpent head appeared at his shoulder.

"Ryousuke, nice of you to show your scaly hide," Naruto said.

"Nice to see you too Naruto," The snake hissed.

Naruto was unfazed by the serpent's sudden appearance. You get used to it after all. He damn near forgot all about the snake since he spent all his time off hibernating somewhere.

Ryousuke was a snake that Orochimaru had assigned to Naruto years ago to, as he put it, "Watch over you." But in reality, it was to spy on him; to make sure he didn't run off or do anything compromising. Unfortunately for Orochimaru, he picked the wrong snake for the job. The eight foot black mamba was the laziest serpent ever. He generally spent his time doing of two things: Eating or sleeping. He claims the only reason he took the job was to get out of the hectic snake realm and finally earn some peace and quiet.

"So you've decided to grace me with your presence after 2 whole months," Naruto chided.

"Eh I need the exercise. I can feel my joints going stiff," Ryousuke said making himself comfortable on Naruto's shoulder's. Most of his body was loose wrapped around the blonde's neck, forming a makeshift scarf, and his tail draped down his back.

But Naruto knew the serpent better than that. Never in the three years he'd known him had he ever complained about exercise. "So what _really _bring you out?" Naruto asked.

"I don't know really, it's just this…_omen_ I've been felling lately. Did something happen?"

"Nothing much really," came Naruto's reply. Really it wasn't about what happened that made Naruto uneasy, but more of what _was_ going to happened. Firstly there was the whole upcoming war with a god but was concerned him the most at the moment was what Sasuke said to him a few days prior…

"_Naruto," Sasuke began._

"_Hm?" came Naruto's muffled response._

"_I'm going to kill Orochimaru,"_

_Naruto choked and spewed the contents of his mouth across the table. "You're going to what?"_

"_You heard me. I have no more use for him and I have no plans of becoming his next vessel. You know it's almost time," Sasuke said simply._

"_But Sasuke…"_

"_But what Naruto? You didn't honestly believe we were going to spend the rest of or live here did you? You know as well as I that there's no way he'd let us leave. And think of Tsuki. Do you honestly want her to grow up in this kind of environment? Don't you want a better life for her?"_

_Naruto flinched back. Not only did his theory have logic, but he'd hit him with morals. Of course he wanted a better life for Tsuki. There isn't a day that goes by that he doesn't dream of that. But he wasn't exactly sure of how to go about that at the moment. And even if he did, Orochimaru would surely prevent him from enacting any kind of plans. Naruto did respect his new master, but the man was of unsound mind and a menace to society._

"_But Sasuke, he's still stronger than us?" Naruto protested._

"_Hn…that may have been true before but I've been training and with the weakened state he's in now, this will be a cinch," Sasuke snorted._

_Naruto took in what his friend was saying and there was definite truth to it. Orochimaru was due for a new vessel any day now and was getting sicker by the minute. They could easy deal with him in the state he's in now but that doesn't mean it'll be easy. Orochimaru can be rather resilient. "Look Sasuke…maybe we both should-"_

"_No, just me. There's still a chance something could go wrong and Tsuki needs you more than the world needs me. You just focus on getting her ready to leave," Sasuke interrupted him with a stern look._

_Naruto wanted to protest but the serious look on the raven-haired boy face halted him from doing so. "Alright fine…" Naruto gave in. "But at least tell when it's going to happen?"_

"_Soon…very soon…"_

That conversation has been playing over and over again for the past two days as he tried to figure out what to do. _'May as well start by telling Tsuki,' _He thought as he turned down a hall that led to the training rooms.

"Where are we going?" Ryousuke asked.

"To find Tsuki. There's something I need to talk to her about, actually, you should be there to hear it too.

* * *

><p>"Come on Chibi you're going to have to do better than that," Karin said as she lazily dodged another strike from Tsuki's tiny blade. Tsuki continued to lash out at Karin, who I return gracefully dodged every strike. The Little blonde growled and jumped up sever the older girl's head off but was countered by a kunai this time.<p>

Tsuki pushed off and flipped away, putting considerable between them. Tsuki raised her sword and charged forward again. She feinted swinging at Karin's gut and the older girl leapt back to dodge. Tsuki smirked and Karin cursed at her mistake. In one quick movement, Tsuki was inside Karin's defenses.

She gathered some wind chakra into her palm before shooting it forward in a spinning motion straight into the red-head's stomach. _**"Wind Style: Rasenken!" **_The impact had enough force to send Karin skidding backwards a few feet and knocking the air out of her lungs.

"Hah I got you!" Tsuki cheered. Karin was doubled over trying to catch her breath. She cursed herself for being so careless and was thankful that hers wasn't as strong as her brother's.

Tsuki was too busy celebrating to even see if her sparring partner was ok or not. But as she was jubilantly dancing and cheering about, she noticed a figure off in the distance approaching. Tsuki stopped her celebration and tried to focus on the figure, squinting to get a better view of its features. She immediately recognized the black clothing, red coat, and mop of blonde hair that rested atop its head.

"BIG BROTHER!" Tsuki yelled out as she waved excitedly at the figure. Naruto, who was still quite a ways away, caught view of his sister's fervent waving and smiled as waved back himself. Tsuki was giddy with excite for her brother's arrival. She could finally show him how good she's gotten and hopefully get him to teach her something new.

But her excitement slowly turned to disgust as when she noticed shiny black scales where her brother's neck should be. Tsuki lifted her blade and charged at Naruto, much to his confusion. "Don't move big brother there's something icky on your throat!" Tsuki screamed.

Naruto was puzzled as to what she meant but he soon realized when he held scaly skin tightening around his neck. Thinking quickly, took out his own sword and blocked hers nearly inches from his sternum. A black serpent head emerged from his shoulder and hissed at Tsuki. "Tsuki how many times do I have to tell you…you can't kill Ryousuke," Naruto sighed. He'd stopped her short of bisecting Ryousuke.

"But it's a snake and snakes are icky!" Tsuki protested. Ryousuke barred his fangs at her but she just glared right back at him.

"I don't care," Naruto said deflecting away her sword. "Leave him alone," He said sternly.

Tsuki grumbled something incoherent under her breath as she sheathed her sword. She looked back up to Naruto, who was staring at her in extreme confusion.

"Uhh Tsuki…why are you wearing your sword upside down?" He asked.

"Oh, that's because it's easier to pull out and get into a stance by reaching behind me instead of reaching over my shoulder. And since it needs my chakra to come out , it doesn't fall," She explained as if it were the most obvious thing in the world.

Naruto just continued to stare. He was still in shock that what she said actually made since. Tsuki may be a prankster at heart, but sometimes her inner genius breaks through. Of course, there was no way in hell he'd let her know that.

"Whatever…" he said writing her off. "Come on!" He snatched her up by the back of her shirt and slung her over his shoulder. Naruto made his way back over to a now recovered Karin. As he walked, he couldn't help but think how much his little sister was improving. He remembered how she used to be afraid of damn near everything and would hide behind him. Now, she'd confront _anything_ or _anyone_ without a second thought.

He also remembered back when she had a small mop of blonde hair. But now it was like a golden mane that reached down her back. And she was no longer the pint-sized toddler that used to stalk him. If he had to guess, she was at least 127cm by now.

In his own opinion, Tsuki was growing up too fast. She's already been exposed to thing that no child her age should and been trained in the shinobi arts. He just wanted her to experience the thing he…well, other kids experience at that age, not having to worry if she'll live to see the next day. Maybe it was a good idea to leave…

Naruto reached his destination and deposited a disheveled Tsuki on the ground in from of Karin. The red-head snickered at younger blonde's predicament.

"What are you laughing at?" Naruto asked. "I saw that number she did on you a second ago," Karin's grin immediately shifted to a frown and she turned her back on him.

"Shut up Naruto, no one asked you!" Karin huffed as Naruto laughed lightly and Tsuki yelled out obscenities about being a better kunoichi.

The three of them had a unique relationship. It all started back when Naruto found out Karin was also an Uzumaki. He'd had believed himself to be the only one but it turns out he was wrong. They weren't exactly sure how they were related though so they settled upon cousins.

Naruto and Karin didn't really talk much back then, with her swooning over Sasuke and his focus on training. But then Tsuki came along. See, there were certain things for a kunoichi to learn that Naruto couldn't teach her. So that's were Karin came in. He'd considered Guren for the job, but he figured that Tsuki would be able to relate to and connect more with someone closer to her age.

It was through Tsuki that Naruto and Karin began to react. It started off subtly with small talk and a few conversations here and there and gradually built up to the point where she'd explosively hug him out of nowhere, much like Sakura did Sasuke. The little Uzumaki cult was a family in its own right and Naruto grew to care for both girls greatly. It was almost like he had two sisters. Of course, it was something else he wouldn't say aloud because things would get all mushy and what not.

"Naruto, Naruto look at what I can do!" Tsuki exclaimed hopping to her feet.

"Not now Tsuki, there's something I want to talk to you about," Naruto said taking a seat on the ground. Normally, Tsuki would protest and say something along the lines of "But it's really cool!" But instead, she frowned slightly and plopped down on the ground and sat cross-legged across from him.

"Tsuki were moving on…" Naruto began.

"That's it? We always move to a different hideout every two weeks Naruto," Tsuki said confused.

"No not moving hideout, I mean as in taking all of our stuff and going somewhere else," Naruto explained. Both Tsuki and Karin's eyes widened at what he said. Karin shot him a questioning and confused look but he gave her a look that promised he'd explain later.

"You mean we're leaving Orochimaru?" Tsuki yelled out. Naruto had never felt his hands move so fast as he covered up her mouth. He looked all around to make sure no one heard. When he figured it was safe, he let out a sigh and released her.

"Don't be so loud!" He said. Tsuki covered her mouth in embarrassment and nodded her head.

"Yes, we're leaving Orochimaru," Naruto confirmed.

"But why?" Tsuki asked.

"Because, we can't mooch off of him forever. We have to go out and be independent on our own. It's part of growing up," Naruto said, hoping with every fiber of his being that she believed him. He'd totally just come up with that off the top of his head. Explaining the _real_ reason would take too long and she'd get all mystified and ask a lot of questions.

Naruto watched as Tsuki seemed to be thinking it over in her head, slowly nodding as if she understood. "But…where will we go?" She finally asked.

Naruto himself didn't even know the answer to that question. The fox hadn't really told him where to go. He only said that he would reappear when they were ready. "Umm…we're going to stay in dad's hometown. His family house is still there." That was technically the truth, more or less.

"Oh, ok…when do we leave?" Tsuki asked.

"I'm not sure exactly but tonight I want you to pack all your things in to scroll, no more than four. We have to ready to leave at any given moment," Naruto explained.

"Ok I'll go do it now!" Tsuki exclaimed. She gave him a quick hug, stuck her tongue out at Karin, who responded in the same manner, and took off back towards the hideout. Naruto and Karin watched her blonde locks flowing gracefully behind her as she ran off into the distance.

As soon as she was gone from sight, Karin turned to Naruto and forcefully poked him in the chest. "Start talking."

* * *

><p>Naruto tiredly trudge into his room. He haphazardly threw his equipment into a corner. After explaining the situation to Karin, went back inside and ate dinner, studied some scrolls, put Tsuki to bed, and finally went back outside for some late night ninjutsu training. He was tired as all get out and wanted nothing more at the moment than to succumb to the ever accepting embrace of sleep and live out his fantasies.<p>

Naruto plopped down on his bed and lazily kicked off his sandals. Next, he attempted to take off his rope belt. He refused to sit up, making the task much harder than it needed to be. After struggling for about five minutes, he'd finally undone the dastardly series of knots and loops and tossed it across the room. He opened his coat and merely rolled ungracefully across the bed and kicking it off at the same time. In one swift motion, he shot his pants off and watched as they sailed straight into the wall.

Left in nothing but his red undershirt and green frog boxers, Naruto crawled underneath the covers. Once again, he found himself wondering why he owned a pair of underwear covered with chibi amphibians. A ninja wearing frog attire does not strike fear into the hearts of people. But like every night, he found himself too tired to debate the subject.

He could feel the hands of sleeps trying to grasp him and all he had to do was let them. In a few short moments, he'd be left to his own devices and free to explore and live out his dreams and fantasies without worry or being bothered by somebody…

_Knock! Knock! Knock!_

Or so he thought.

'You've got to be kidding me! It's the middle of the night! I need sleep!' Naruto screamed in his head.

_Knock! Knock! Knock!_

The annoying rapping at the door continued and Naruto did his best to block it out. 'If I ignore them long enough, they'll think I'm asleep already or not here,'

_Knock! Knock! Knock!_

'_Nope, I'm not here at the moment,'_

_Knock! Knock! Knock!_

'_Lalalalalala I can't hear you!'_

_BANG! BANG! BANG!_

'_SWEET MOTHER OF GOD!'_

Naruto leapt from his bed and made his way over to the door and snatched it open with enough force to tear it off the hinges. "WHAT?" he screamed. He was confused at first when he saw nothing but darkness but he caught a sliver of yellow and looked down to see Tsuki.

She was standing at his door dressed in her creamy yellow frilly nightgown. In one hand she drug her stuffed tiger plushy as she rubbed her eyes tiredly with the other. "Naruto, I had a bad dream…" Tsuki yawned in a sad voice. Naruto sighed and stepped to the side, allowing her passage. Tsuki quietly stepped inside while Naruto forcefully wedged the door back in place. He'd fix it in the morning.

Naruto made his way back to his bed and settled back into place. Before he even had the chance to get comfortable, Tsuki was pressed against his side, holding onto him like a lifeline. "Night night big brother," she yawned cutely before dozing off. Naruto tried pushing her away to give himself some space but she had a vice-like grip on his shirt.

Finding all attempts to dislodge the eight year-old in vain, Naruto gave up and settled for wrapping an arm around her and making himself as comfortable as possible. Tsuki's obnoxious knocking had reawakened him so he spent the next several minutes just lying there wait for fatigue to claim him.

Thoughts of the future and what would soon come to pass drifted into his mind. He tried to make sense of it all but was too disoriented to do so. He involuntarily hugged Tsuki tighter who let out an uncomfortable grunt. Naruto smiled as he closed his eyes and floated out of consciousness.

'_We'll be fine.'_

* * *

><p>Well, I'm not particularly happy with this chapter, only because there was a lot more stuff I wanted to say but I didn't want another chapter like the last one. So I settled for this so you better be ok with it. If not not oh well. Gonna takes some time to get the creative juices flowing again.<p>

Not going to lie, the only reason this chapter got finished is because the MMO I play underwent maintenance the other night for seven hours so I used that time to pump this one out. I have to better manage my time :/

Lastly, thanks to those of you who do read and get back to me. My motivation to keep right this story has kinda dropped. It's your feedback and the fact that all these ideas annoy me to high heaven until I write them out that I keep updating.

So please, R+R and let me know what you think or else face my Mangekyo ^^

-White Chidori


	13. The Journey Begins

**Hits: 28,032**

**Favs: 170**

**Alerts: 152**

Alright you guys I have good news and bad news. (Sorta) I'm going to the Air Force (not sure if I mentioned this before or not) and I just learned recently that my ship date is September 4th. After that, this Story is going on hiatus. Basic training last eight weeks roughly and then I have technical school for about a month which means you won't see any updates till 2013.

But the good news is I'm actually going to get serious with the story now. I plan on going back to my weekly updates. It's highly plausible as long as I get about 1000 words done each day. If I can keep that up, were looking at the release of at least eight more chapters. I don't know how far along in the plot that is but I will at least introduce Naruto's paring.

Oh and if you hadn't noticed, there's a new cover for the story. I was at a loss for what to draw so for now it's just chibi Naruto, Sasuke, and Tsuki. Without further adieu...

* * *

><p>Chapter XIII: The Journey Begins<p>

Naruto awoke to find himself in a bed that was not his own. The linens were alabaster white and the mattress was feathery soft. He shot into a sitting position. He looked to his side so see that Tsuki was no longer there. _'What the hell is going on?'_

Naruto threw off the covers and swung his legs off the side of the bed. He took notice of the sleeveless white tunic and pants he now wore, also none of which were his. He looked around the rather large room and took in his surroundings. There was a across the room accompanied by two sitting chairs resting in front of a marble fireplace.

The walls were covered in elegant artwork and the white marble floors glistened in the sunlight entering from what looked like a balcony. Naruto pushed himself to his feet and stepped away from the king-sized bed. He slowly made his way over to the open doors of the balcony and stepped outside.

He was blinded by the intense light of the sun but after a short moment his eyes adjusted. Naruto found himself standing on a large, open veranda that was oval in shape. Naruto cautiously made his way across the twenty foot platform to take a look over the edge. What he saw shocked him.

Down below he saw the base of a great castle which he stood atop. The castle rested in the center of a large town. He was able to ascertain that the whole place rested atop a mountain judging from his elevation. Being at such a height, he couldn't help but feel…at home.

"Naruto…" a feminine voice called out to him.

Naruto was so busy taking in the sights that he almost didn't hear his named called. He turned around and just as he did he was met with a hard slap to the face.

* * *

><p>Naruto's eyes shot open. He was back in his room and he was sweating slightly. He cursed as he felt a stinging pain on his cheek. He glanced down to see the offending object that struck him. It was Tsuki's hand. She had rolled over and smacked him…again. This was the precise reason he didn't like her sleeping with him. She always wanted to be in close contact which wouldn't be so bad if she wasn't such a terrible sleeper.<p>

Naruto sighed and pushed away the disorderly heap that was his sister. He swung his legs over the side of his bed and tiredly ran his fingers through his hair. He was having such a wonderful dream and he was not ready to wake up. Long black hair was the last thing he saw before he awoke. That was the only glimpse he caught of the mystery girl. He couldn't help but wonder who she was or what his dream meant. And that town with the castle…was it real or just a fallacy crafted by his mind.

_'Maybe that's the place the fox spoke of,'_ Naruto thought. He had been thinking about it a lot lately, the whole ordeal with the prophecy, the war, and his inherited kingdom. It all seemed so sudden yet real at the same time. _'If that was kingdom the fox spoke of, does that mean that girl was-'_ His train of thought was interrupted by incoherent moans and babbling coming from the room's other occupant.

Naruto pushed those thoughts from his head. He had this foreboding feeling that something big was going to happen today. _'I think today might be the day…'_ Naruto wasn't quite one hundred percent sure but the feeling in his gut seemed to reassure him.

"We leave today," he told himself. He was mostly ready, just some last minute things to take care of and they'd be all set. He looked to the clock on the nightstand to see it read 8:00 a.m._ 'Good, it's still early.'_ His first priority of business was to get Tsuki up and going. While he did what he needed to do, she could finish up her packing and get ready to leave. This couldn't be like the other times when they hopped between bases and she took hours upon hours to get her stuff together.

Naruto turned to his sister and began the troublesome task of waking her up. "Tsuki," Naruto said softly as he shook her gently. His attempt failed as she groaned and smacked his hand away. "Tsuki it's time to wake up, we have a lot to do today," Naruto tried again.

"All I want for Christmas is a new set of kunai and a lifetime supply of ramen…" Tsuki mumbled. With that, she entangled herself within the covers even more by wrapping up like an eggroll.

Naruto stared at her with the upmost confusion. Christmas was still a long ways off. He sighed as he stood up and began a short series of hand signs. He really didn't want to resort to this but she was leaving him no choice. _**"Water Style: Water Bomb Jutsu!"**_ The water in the glass atop his nightstand lifted into the air and gathered into sphere above Tsuki's head. It popped like a balloon and drenched the unsuspecting blonde.

Tsuki awoke almost immediately and shot up. She was cold, wet, and confused. She heard snickering and turned to see her brother a few feet away grinning like a madman at her. "Naruto!" Her shrill voice echoed throughout the small room. "What'd you do that for?"

"It's time to wake up Tsuki," He smiled at her. Even with anger set upon her features she was still as cute as ever. Tsuki unceremoniously untangled herself from the linens. After a short struggle, she lost the fight and was deposited on the floor with a thud.

Naruto laughed at her expense and Tsuki shot to her feet even more livid than she was before. "Shut up! And you didn't have to get me all wet you big dummy!" she rushed Naruto, lashing out with her fists.

Naruto merely held out his hand and she drew close and she ran into it head first. Naruto yawned mockingly as she swung wildly trying to land a hit on him. Tsuki fought vainly to get past her brother's defenses and her arms eventually began to tire.

"You done yet?" Naruto asked. By now, she was leaning tiredly against his hand and her arms hung limply at her sides. Tsuki just huffed at him and crossed her arms after she sat down on the bed, refusing to look at him. Naruto sighed and walked over to the bed and crouched down to her level.

"Look Tsuki, you know how you can be in the morning. I need you to wake up; we've got things to do today," He explained. Tsuki looked at him out the corner of her eye huffed again, still refusing to meet his gaze.

"Ok," Naruto sighed "I'm sorry. Can you forgive me?," he asked pleadingly. She glanced over at him as if considering. "Ok fine, just this once," she smiled as she hugged him. Naruto smiled too as he hugged her back. But now was no time for sentimentalities. Naruto pulled away and held Tsuki by her shoulders.

Tsuki took noted of how Naruto had entered "serious" mode. "Tsuki we're leaving today. I need you go to your room and make sure all your stuff is packed and ready. Pack all your scrolls into your bag, get dressed, and meet me in the main hall in one hour, ok?"

"Ok!" Tsuki nodded vigorously. She kissed Naruto on the cheek, dove across the bed to retrieve her plushy, and made her way to the door. She pulled on the handle with all her might but it wouldn't budge. Naruto had forgotten all about the door and was about to move to help her until he heard her growl and raise her hand to it. The door began to wiggle slightly before it was violently knocked loose and sent flying down the hallway. Tsuki pumped her fist triumphantly, smiled at Naruto, and scampered out of the room.

Naruto was staring wide-eyed at the whole scene. _'I totally forgot she could do that…' _Naruto shook himself from his stupor and focused on what he needed to do. "Alright, time to get started," He took a step forward and a musky smell hit his nose. "Just as soon as I take a shower," He said pivoting on his heel and heading out the door.

* * *

><p>Tsuki was happily skipping down the halls toward her room. She was excited as ever. Today was the day they'd finally leave Orochimaru. She was grateful for him giving them a place to stay and all but the man gave her the heebie jeebies. She was humming a jolly tone to herself when she turned a corner caught view of Sasuke making his way down the hall.<p>

"Sasuke!" She called out, speeding up her pace to catch up to the raven-haired boy. Sasuke heard his name called but he didn't stop walking. The rapid footsteps behind him indicated that she'd be upon him in mere seconds. "What 'cha doing?" Tsuki asked when she finally caught up to him.

"I'm going to take care of an urgent matter," Sasuke said simply. He looked down at her to see her in her nightgown and carrying a plushy. Judging from the direction she was coming from, he figured she must've been coming from Naruto's room. "What about you? Was there a monster under your bed and you got all scared?" he teased. He smirked seeing her turn red from embarrassment.

"Shut up! I didn't even sleep in Naruto's room," She lied. "I went to wake him up and he said we're leaving today and told me to go pack," She said matter-of-factly. That much was true.

'So Naruto plans on making his move today huh? Guess I'd better hurry and get this over with,' Sasuke thought to himself. "He's right Tsuki you'd better hurry and go get your stuff. I have things to do so I'll see you later," He said turning down the opposite hallway she was headed.

"Oh ok, bye then Sasuke," she said before merrily resuming her adventure back to her room.

* * *

><p>Another series of sickly gasps and coughs escaped Orochimaru. The Snake-Sannin had been bed ridden for the last month and his condition wasn't getting any better. The medication prescribed to him by Kabuto was losing its edge and the pain was becoming unbearable. <em>'I need to switch bodies and soon!' <em>he thought as he clutched his chest in pain.

It was true, he was well past due for a body transfer and if he didn't do it soon, he'd surely die. His current body was already deteriorating and rejecting him and it was only a matter of time before it completely failed. But there was something that made him uneasy.

He'd completely underestimated just how strong Sasuke had gotten over the years. He wasn't completely sure anymore whether he'd be able to take the boy on in his current state of health. The Uchiha was definitely a force to be reckoned with. And then there was also Naruto to worry about. The two were close, brothers practically, and if Sasuke rose up against him, Naruto most likely would too.

There was no way possible for him to take on both of them. And fighting Naruto most likely included taking on that dragon of his, which he knew nothing about other than it was extremely fast. There was also Tsuki to worry about. The little brat was annoying to high heaven, but a strong fighter.

It began to don on Orochimaru that he might not live much longer. The trio, all abandoned and forgotten at young ages, had bonded together in sort of a make-shift family. If he took one of them on, he'd have to take them all on. People who'd been alone all their life won't take kindly to someone trying to take what little precious people they do have.

The door handle jiggled harshly remained shut to it being locked. _'Must be Kabuto with more medication,'_ Orochimaru thought with a ghastly cough. But instead of the sound of a key entering the door and the tumblers unlocking, he heard the faint sound of birds chirping, which confused him greatly.

All of a sudden, a blue spear of lightning pierced through the door and raced across the room and struck him in the shoulder, pinning him against the bed's baseboard. Before he could register what was happening, the door exploded into pieces and Sasuke stepped into the room wield the spear of lightning in one hand and resting his sword against his shoulder in the other.

"Sasuke-kun," Orochimaru coughed. "I had a feeling you'd come sooner or later."

"Orochimaru, I have no further use for you. Time for you to die," Sasuke said tonelessly.

"Oh you may not have use for me, but I have plenty for you. And do you really think you can take me on _boy_." Orochimaru made a mistake by trying to force out that last word as his body betrayed his tough demeanor by sending him into another violent coughing fit.

"You're washed up, Sannin. You gain your power by stealing that of others and it's beginning to take its toll. You're a plague to this world and I'm going to purge you from it. Prepare to die Orochimaru!" Sasuke glared, Sharingan spinning to life in his eyes.

* * *

><p>Naruto sighed contently as he stepped back into his room. He'd had made sure to retrieve his door and wedged it back into place so that he could have some privacy. He'd taken his shower and felt refreshed and ready to begin the day. After drying himself off completely, he slipped on a fresh pair of boxers.<p>

He made his way over to his clothes to put on fresh clothes but then he remembered something. _'We're beginning anew today. Maybe it's time for new garbs too,'_ he thought. It turned instead and made his way over to his drawers. He opened the bottom right one and pulled out a box and set it on his bed.

He removed the lid pulled out the clothes inside, neatly laying the out across the bed. This new set was exactly identical to his old get up, save for the color scheme. The shirt, pants, and rope belt were ivory white while the wrist warmers and coat were ocean blue. Sasuke had it made a long time ago to match Latios. He stated that if he was going to ride him, at least now they wouldn't be clashing in color.

Naruto argued that he looked fine the way he did and wasn't worried about making a fashion statement. So he'd put it away in his drawer insisting he had no need for it, but here he was now, going back on his word. He could help but smile as he got dressed.

Naruto was finishing up the last knots on his belt when his eyes fell upon the last item in the box: a single white scroll. The reach into the box, pulled it out, opened it and unsealed the last item of his outfit. A pair of white sandals, identical to his last pair, poofed into existence.

Only these were special. He had crafted these quite some time ago so better allow him to control his wind chakra. By channeling chakra through his feet, it activated a special seal in the soles that allow his to manipulate air currents around his feet. In theory, he'd be able hover and possibly even glide across the surface of the ground. It was for this reason he called them Wind Walkers. Of course, it was all speculation as he'd never field tested them before._ 'Now's a better time than ever,'_ Naruto thought to himself as he pulled them on.

He went over to his desk where he had all of his things set out to do a last minute check list. He had two scrolls filled with spare clothes, a map of the five nations, one scroll filled with medical supplies, and his greatest work: two scrolls in which he'd sealed away food. But these were no ordinary scrolls.

Each seal was comprised of three separate seals, and time one was released, a meal was unsealed. There were 365 seals, which meant that each scroll contained a year's supply of food. It had taken him and five shadow clones two whole days to craft them. He wasn't entirely sure how long they'd be on the road but it was best to be prepared.

He packed it all into a blue backpack and slipped it on his back. He glanced around his room making sure he had everything. The only thing remaining was his sword which was propped up against his nightstand. He picked it up and eyed it over. "Red really clashes with my attire," He said to himself. He pressed his thumb against the Uzumaki symbol on the sword's scabbard and watched as it slowly changed from fiery red to a cool blue.

"Much better," he said fastening it in his belt. It was a special seal that allowed him change its properties. It also recognizes chakra and prevents anyone who wasn't himself, Tsuki or Sasuke from drawing the sword. He refused to have another situation with what happened with Tenten.

Suddenly, a large explosion went off that shook the whole base. Naruto stumble for a second before regaining his balance. "What the hell was that? Wait…it couldn't be!" Naruto burst through his door and made a mad dash in the direction the explosion came from.

* * *

><p>"You're mine boy!" Orochimaru roared as he lunged at Sasuke again. He was driven to use his true form. Due to self-experimentation on himself over the years, his true form became that of a giant white snake comprised of a multitude of smaller white snakes.<p>

Sasuke swiftly dodged and lunged at him with a Chidori blade. He had activated stage two of the curse seal when Orochimaru revealed himself to better ensure his victory. Orochimaru coiled back as the lightning sword nearly severed his head and watch Sasuke fly by. He raised his tail and swatted the boy out the air and across the room.

Sasuke flipped and landed on the wall. He glared at the snake, which was rocking back and forth, taunting him to strike. Eyes still fixed on Orochimaru, Sasuke spawn another Chidori blade, which was slightly larger and was quickly tainted black. With a forceful leap, Sasuke shot forth, intent on finally destroying the Snake-Sannin forever.

"I gave you that power boy and I can take it away!" Orochimaru hissed as his eyes began to glow. Sasuke felt an unbearable pain emanating from his shoulder. He crashed into the ground and his jutsu dispersed. He was breathing heavily as the power of the curse mark retracted back into the seal on his shoulder and his body turned back to normal.

"See, you are nothing without me! If it weren't for me, you'd still be the weak little boy I found in Konoha three years ago!"

"That's where you're wrong…" Sasuke panted, pushing himself back to his feet. "You may have trained me, but you're not the reason I'm strong!" _'I have Naruto to thank for that.'_ It was true, the two had spent countless hours together training over the years, constantly pushing each other's limits and bettering themselves. Naruto had made him stronger than any jutsu, seal, or any amount of power ever could.

Sasuke took a ready stance and gripped the hilt of his sword tightly, ready to draw any second. "Why you insolent little…" Orochimaru growled. He coiled back and lunged forth. "Time for your body to be mine!" Sasuke held his ground as Orochimaru barreled straight at him. It was a do or die moment.

Orochimaru was upon Sasuke in seconds. He lunged at the boy's head, but with the help of his Sharingan, he evaded at the last second. Orochimaru was powerless as Sasuke tore through his neck with his lightning-enhanced sword. Orochimaru's severed head fell to the ground and Sasuke let out a sigh of relief. He shook the blood from his sword before placing it back in its sheathe.

"You can come out now," he said casting his gaze over to the door. No less than a second later, Naruto came into sight and leaned against the doorframe, arms folded across his chest. Sasuke knew something was up. At the last moment before Orochimaru attacked, his eyes bulged in surprise and he hesitated. Sasuke figured that someone must've interfered and his suspicions were confirmed when he looked over the snake's limp body to see a blue sword pinning its tail.

Sasuke looked back at Naruto and was about to say something, but he stopped to take in his friend's new attire. "You look like you've been through hell," Naruto said looking over Sasuke's slightly battered body. He walked over to reclaim his sword. With a quick swipe, the blood was knocked away and he returned it to its resting place.

"What are you doing here? I told you not to interfere," Sasuke said sternly as he slipped his arms back through his shirt.

"Eh, my sword kind of just fell out of the scabbard," Naruto grinned.

Sasuke scoffed as he made his way over to the door, but he stopped to take one last look at his old teacher's dead body. "So it's really over huh?" Naruto, not taking his eyes off Orochimaru's limp form.

"Yeah," Sasuke replied.

Naruto turned to his friend and placed a hand on his shoulder. "You did well."

"Mind giving me a hand?" Sasuke asked as he went through a few hand signs. Naruto recognized them and caught on to what he planned to do. "Sure thing."

"_**Fire Style: Dragon Flame Jutsu!"**_

"_**Wind Style: Great Breakthrough!"**_

Sasuke's flames engulfed the room while Naruto's wind fanned them, further intensifying the blaze. Both boys stood there watching as their old master and his roomed burned, erasing all traces of his existence. After a few minutes, Naruto put out the fire to keep it from spreading to the rest of the base. There was nothing left in the room except for clouds of smoke and numerous piles of ash.

"We'd better go, Tsuki's waiting," Naruto said walking away. Sasuke stared into the barren room for another few seconds before turning to follow.

* * *

><p>Naruto, Sasuke, and Karin were silently making their way to the main hall. They had stopped by Sasuke's room so that he could pick up a few scrolls and ran into Karin along the way. She had asked about the explosions and rumbling she'd felt earlier and they filled her in on the events from a few minutes prior. She was shock to say the least, but not utterly surprised.<p>

After a few minutes of walking, the trio entered the main hall. Tsuki was already there sitting atop the large snake statue swing here legs off the edge as she sang to herself. When she saw them enter the room, she called out to them joyously and hopped down. She happily skipped over and when she stopped in front of them, she looked up at Naruto in confusion.

"What happened to your clothes brother?"

"Oh nothing, I'm just trying a new look," Naruto said simply.

"Well you look weird," Tsuki laughed. She wasn't used to not seeing him in his usual red and black attire.

"Yeah, yeah, whatever. You get all of your stuff packed?" Naruto asked.

"Yep, it's all in here," She said pointing to the small purple bag strapped to her back.

"Did you guys feel those earthquakes earlier?" Tsuki asked. She was sure she couldn't have been the only one. She noticed how the three teens exchanged looks before turning to look at her as if she'd grown a second head.

"I have no idea what you're talking about Tsuki-chan," Naruto lied. They figured it was best to keep her out of the loop.

"But the whole base was shaking a few minutes ago. I heard an explosion," Tsuki protested. She might be little but she wasn't dumb. They were keeping something from her.

Naruto brought his hand to his chin as if he were thinking intently. "Hmm…I don't recall anything. Maybe you just heard Karin rolling out of bed or something," He laughed as he dodged a fist aimed at his temple.

"Or maybe you're still scared from last night and you're just imagining things," Sasuke smirked.

"Fine whatever," Tsuki huffed, crossing her arms across her chest. She was tired of how they always undermined her just because she was young.

"So what's the plan?" Karin asked as she shared a laugh at her young cousin's expense.

"We'll first, I'm going to go find my brother and settle things once and for all," Sasuke said.

"About that Sasuke…" Naruto began, catching the attention of the raven-haired boy. "Tsuki and I aren't going with you," He finished. Sasuke, Karin and Tsuki looked at him incredulously.

Naruto quickly moved to explain before he an onslaught of questions were thrown at him. "There's a place I have to go find. I can't really explain it well at the moment but just trust me that it's very important."

Sasuke stared at his friend and met the pleading look in his eyes. "Alright," he sighed. He wasn't sure what he had to do but figured it must be very important to him. Though, Naruto not coming along with him was a major hitch in his plans. He needed someone to keep out any outside interference and without Naruto, he'd have to find someone else.

"Wait Sasuke's not coming with us?" Tsuki asked hysterically. Naruto had neglected to mention that they wouldn't all be traveling together.

"No I'm afraid not Tsuki-chan. This is where we split up for awhile. But I promise we'll see each other again," Naruto said trying to ease her mind. She looked to Sasuke and he nodded in affirmation.

"Papoof?" She asked extending her pinky out to him. Sasuke was hesitant. He wasn't like Naruto and went around making promises he wasn't sure if he could keep. But he could at least do this for her. He slowly stuck out his pinky and wrapped it around hers.

Tsuki's face lit up and she ran into Sasuke latching her arms around his middle. Sasuke was taken aback by her sudden closeness and looked down to see her nuzzling him as she hugged him tightly. "You better not die, I still have to show how much better I am than you one day," She said.

Then the rarest thing known to mankind happened next: Sasuke smiled. It was small and barely noticeable, but still a smile nonetheless. Naruto and Karin's eyes threatened to fall out of their skulls if they opened any wider. Tsuki looked up just in time to catch the rare sight too as Sasuke placed a hand on her head. "I'm looking forward to it," he said scuffling her hair. Tsuki shot a goofy grin at him before letting go and moving on to Karin.

"I guess I'll miss you too," Karin said crouching down and embracing the small blonde. Tsuki smiled and returned her embrace. Karin released Tsuki but held her by her shoulders. "Am I going to see a boyfriend next time I see you Tsuki-chan?" she smirked.

Tsuki on the other hand was completely repulsed. "Eww boys are icky and stupid and they have cooties! Except for Naruto and Sasuke of course."

"Damn right!" Naruto affirmed. He was going to keep her mind pure for as long as he possibly could. God help him when she finally started puberty.

"Come on guys, it's about time we get going," Sasuke said making his exit. Tsuki merrily skipped out beside him while Naruto and Karin followed closely behind. The four of them exited the base a few minutes later and Naruto pulled Sasuke aside.

"So where are you headed to now?" Naruto asked as the girls continued onward.

"Karin and I are headed west to pick up Suigetsu and then North for Jūgo," He said. Without Naruto, he needed someone else to watch his back and those two were the only ones in all of the Sound that he deemed trustworthy enough. "What about you two?"

Naruto hadn't really figured that out yet. The fox said he'd show up again when they were ready to leave, but he hadn't seen him since he appeared in his mindscape that one time. "East. We're headed east," Naruto said. He just had this feeling in his gut to head east and he couldn't explain it.

"What's out east?" Sasuke raised an eyebrow.

"My father left me an inheritance. I'm going to go claim it," Naruto said thinking on his toes. He didn't know how to go about explaining the upcoming predicament to Sasuke but that was partly the truth. Naruto was almost certain that Sasuke was one of the other descendants.

He'd learned from the fox that the Sage of Six Paths was spawned from The Sun Goddess Amaterasu and the Thunder God Raijin. The Sage was the ancestor of both the Uchiha and the Senju. There were only three left: two Uchiha and one Senju. Tsunade was too old which meant it had to be an Uchiha, which left only Sasuke or Itachi. Both were equally strong which meant it could be either one of them. With the two on the verge of a battle to the death, he could only hope it was his friend.

But he had to worry about his own problems now. It wouldn't be easy to just walk in and take over a whole country, even if it was rightfully his. And it didn't help that his experience in politics was lacking. There was also the third descendant and his alleged "soul mate" to worry about. Women: another department he was lacking in.

"Guess this is goodbye," Sasuke said looking on at Karin and Tsuki playing around.

"Not goodbye Sasuke, see you later," Naruto said with a grinned.

The gods must've been handing out miracles that day because another smile graced Sasuke's face. "There you go being all optimistic again," He said hold his hand out. Naruto graciously accepted it and pulled him into a brotherly embrace.

"Take care," Naruto said softly.

"Yeah, you too," Sasuke whispered back.

The two stood like that a little while longer, neither wanting to admit that they were afraid of what would happen if they let go. This could very well be the last time they saw each other. You can never tell as the life of a shinobi is always unpredictable and unforgiving.

Both suddenly heard a loud click. "Aww that was so cute!" Karin squealed. Naruto and Sasuke broke apart to see Karin standing a few feet away with a camera and Tsuki grinning like a madman.

"Come on you guys just one more please?" Karin pleaded aiming the camera at them again.

"Do me a favor and watch over her for me," Naruto sighed. Both boys made their way over to the girls were standing. Naruto walked up to Karin and pulled her into a hug, much to the redhead's surprise. "Stay out of trouble and don't pester Sasuke too much," He said softly.

"Where do you get off bossing me around? Don't forget I'm the oldest here," She said returning his embrace.

Naruto stepped back and looked over his cousin and best friend one last time. It would be the last they'd see of them for a while. Her goofy grin and his annoyed expression were forever burned into his mind.

"Come on Tsuki let's go," Naruto said as he turned and walked away. Tsuki stayed behind, catching on last glimpse of her pseudo-siblings before turning heel to catch up with her brother. _'Please God, keep us all safe so we can be a family again someday,'_ She prayed silently.

"Karin, Let's go," Sasuke said heading off in the other direction. The redhead hesitated for a second, staring at retreating figures of her younger cousins, before turning suit and following the Uchiha.

But as they all walked their separate directions, the same thought occurred to Naruto and Sasuke. _'Were never figured out who's stronger,'_ As if given some mystic command, both stopped in their tracks. Karin and Tsuki looked to them in confusion.

A Rasengan surged to life in Naruto's hand while a Chidori sparked forth in Sasuke's. Both turned tail and made a mad dash for one another. They couldn't very well let their rivalry do undecided.

"_**Chidori!"**_

"_**Rasengan!"**_

* * *

><p>And so ends yet another installment. This where I finally start to go original with the story. To those of you who've stuck with me so far I highly thank you. It warms my heart when someone tells me they like my story better than canon or that's the way it should be. truth be told I thought you guys were being modest but I can actually see it being that way. It'd be sooooo badass if this were an anime or even a manga.<p>

Oh and before anyone asks, No, Sasuke did _**NOT**_absorb Orochimaru, he killed him and they'd burned all his remains which means Kabuto can't absorb him either. I haven't really decided what to do about him yet. As for Tsuki telepathically ripping out the door, I did say she could do that back in chapter 6.

As always, R + R, and let me know what you think...or else. I took lessons from Itachi and I'm very adept with Tsukuyomi ^^

P.S: The 24th is a special day for me so drop me a PM ;)


	14. Golden Opportunity

**Hits: 31,213**

**Favs: 181**

**Alerts : 162**

True to my word, I brought you guys another chapter in one week. I don't really have a set day of the week so just look for me on Friday/Saturday, Sunday at the latest. And could you guys do me another favor and tell me when you see a spelling/grammar mistake so i can fix it, I'm nit picky like that. They say when reading your own writing you don't see any mistakes but I've seen quite a few.

Warning, I'm bout to pull a Kishimoto move: I'm putting in a filler. It'll be short, like 2-3 chapters, and I'm only doing it because I don't want Naruto and Tsuki arriving too early. That'll make the story feel like it's going to fast.

Also, I've been rather bored lately and I've started on some Concept art of the characters for the story. It's mostly for later on in the story so far, but I've got quite a few already and they're pretty good if i don't say so myself (especially this one I did of Sasuke). I'm thinking about starting a DeviantArt account and posting them up for you guys to see. If anybody else want to draw something they can email it to me and I'll post it (Giving you proper credit of course). Or if you post it yourself that's cool just send me a link.

Great news: My birthday was last Sunday (the 24th) and I've finally joined the ranks of the adults. I though turning 18 would have this special feeling that came with it but I feel the same. At least i can say "Hey, this is grown folk business!" and "Who's the adult around here?" now to my siblings xD

But enough of that, here's...

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter XIV: Golden Opportunity<strong>

"Are we there yet?" Tsuki whined.

"For the umpteenth time Tsuki, No," Naruto sighed.

They'd only been traveling for three days and his sister had nearly driven him insane with her constant badgering. At first, she kept asking where they were heading and he didn't have an answer for her. He pulled out the map to make it seem like he knew what he was doing and much to him surprise there was a location already marked on there.

In the peninsula of Water Country that connected to the mainland near Southern Fire Country, there was a small blue "X" and a note written to the side that read "Naruto-sama, your destination is here." Naruto immediately knew that it was the fox's handiwork but was confused as to how he managed to get it there without his knowing.

Nonetheless, they were now traversing the Land of Fire toward Water Country. Naruto was uncomfortable with traveling through Fire Country though. He still had a price on his head, and a rather high one at that, and wanted posters were more than likely posted all over the Nation with his face plastered on them. Knowing Tsunade, they more than likely were changed to "wanted alive" but that didn't calm him.

The last thing he wanted was to face thugs, bounty hunters, and any other ragtag civilians than dared to challenge him in hopes of taking the bounty for themselves. It would slow their progress, put Tsuki in unnecessary danger, and just plain annoy him. It would be best that they avoided towns all but Tsuki's rather severe allergies were beginning to act up and she had ran out of medication two days ago. So now they had to find a town, hopefully one with a pharmacy, to get her some more. But for now he had to get her out of the wilderness.

So they now found themselves heading towards Tanzaku town. He wasn't exactly fond of going to one of Tsunade's favorite gambling venues but it was the closest town for a few miles. Luckily, it was fair distance away from Konoha that they shouldn't arise too much suspicion so as long as they were in and out by tomorrow.

"Narutooo My feet hurt!" Tsuki whined as she drug her feet along the road, kicking up dust. this was a bad move on her fault as the dust cloud rose and got into her nose, sending her into a violent sneezing fit.

Naruto let out a tired sigh. He looked out ahead to see buildings rising over the horizon. "There's a town up ahead. We'll rest there for the night," He informed her. Upon hearing that, Tsuki took off, leaving a cloud of dust behind.

"Come on slowpoke, what are you waiting for!" She called out as she sped off.

Naruto just stared on confused, trying to decipher where her new found vigor came from. He gave up with a sigh and sped up his walk a little to catch up with his sister before she got herself into trouble.

* * *

><p>Deep within the outskirts of the Land of Fire, there rested a quaint, peaceful mountain. Upon this mountain, there lay was a village hidden away from the rest of the world. The village was filled with toads varying in size from tadpoles to those the size of a small mountain. Only those familiar with the beats would recognize this place as the sacred Mount Myōbuko, home to the Toad summons.<p>

Deep within the village there rested a small house at the base of a shrine. Inside the house, there was a small toad, no bigger than a rabbit, happily singing as she prepared a meal.

Sitting at the table behind her was another toad, equal to her in size, and a tall man with long white, spiky hair. The man took another swig of his cup before setting it down on the table and letting out a sigh.

"It's been two months and I haven't gotten any new leads. He's hard to track down, especially if he's with Orochimaru. I'm at a loss of what to do Pa," the man said.

"Are you still looking for that long lost student of yours Jiraiya-chan?" The elderly toad asked. His answer was a solemn nod from the Sannin.

"Wait, Is this the same one that signed the summoning contract a few years ago?" Pa asked.

"Yeah, why do you ask?" Jiraiya queried.

"Well why didn't you say something earlier!" the toad exclaimed hopping out of his chair and over to the door. "Well are you coming or not?" He called back to a bewildered Jiraiya. The Toad sage shook from his stupor and got up from the table to follow the toad elder outside.

* * *

><p>As expected, there were occasional posters of Naruto plastered around the city. Unfortunately for Konoha, they were still using an outdated picture from back when he was twelve. They hadn't accommodated for his growth spurt or longer hair. In fact, the only thing that could possibly give him away was his whisker marks. He was actually surprised they hadn't posted a more recent sketch of him. There was no doubt that Kakashi had gotten a good look at his features that day.<p>

Tanzaku town was buzzing with activity as they made their way down the main road. There was nearly a constant flow of people filing in and out of casinos and bars. If the city was this crowded, then there must've been some big event going on, one that promised opportunities for a mass gain in wealth.

Naruto took Tsuki's hand into his own as he pushed through the crowd. There were too many drunks and shady characters lurking around for his liking. He'd be damned if she came up missing. He'd flip this town over in all kinds of directions to track her down.

Naruto and Tsuki continued walk around the bustling streets in search of a hotel. But no matter where they looked, there were no vacancies. But finally, after about an hour of searching, they finally stumbled upon a quaint looking place that had an opening.

"How much for the room?" Naruto asked the receptionist as he approached the calendar. The brunette woman looked at him questioningly. She heard a small sneeze and peered over the counter to see a little blonde girl, his sister she presumed, holding his hand and tracing the patterns on the floor with her foot. She looked back to Naruto with a concerned look in her eyes.

"Look, I don't think this is the kind of place you and your sister should be hanging around. And not to sound pompous but I'm not to certain that you can afford it," She said. The owner had inflated the prices to a crazy level to maximize profit with the evident demand for hotel rooms on the rise.

"Look, we've tried everywhere else and you're the only place with an open room so please, just tell me how much it is," Naruto pleaded. It couldn't be that expensive right?

"80,000 ryo a night," The woman sighed. It was highway robbery but it was protocols.

Naruto's jaw slacked at her words. _'That's goddamn extortion!'_ Naruto was at a loss. He only carried 100,000 ryo on him and if they took the room, it'd be a big dent in their finances. But with all other places booked and most likely running for the same price, he really didn't have much of a choice.

"Look if you can't af-"

"No, no, we'll take it," Naruto said reaching into his bag and pulling out a small wad of bills, much to the woman's surprise. He separated quite a few and handed them to her and put the rest away in his bag. The woman took his money and looked the bills over for validity and was surprised to find them all authentic.

She put the money away and reached for a set of keys hanging on the wall behind her and handed them to Naruto. "Fifth floor, room 504. Enjoy your stay sir," She said.

Naruto took the keys from her and he and Tsuki made their way up the stairs to the floor which their room was located. The whole way there Naruto lamented over the loss of so much money. Now they were strapped for cash and he need to earn it all back and fast. He groaned as only one method came to mind in a place like this: gambling.

While he was no Tsunade, he wasn't the greatest with luck either. He also disliked the idea of just throwing away money to chance. With only 20,000 ryo left, they really couldn't afford to go broke right now.

They finally found their room and Tsuki bounced in front of the door impatiently, just barely containing her excitement. She always got like this when they stayed in a hotel. Naruto unlocked door and Tsuki burst into the room. He stepped inside to see two beds, the larger of which was already claimed by Tsuki, a small nightstand nestled between them, and a tall dresser with a small television resting on top.

Naruto walked over to the window and peered out into the hectic, overcrowded street below. _'Savages, every last one of them,'_ he thought as he watched a group of men get into a physical altercation over a few dropped coins.

"Brother, why is there a camera monitor in our room?" Tsuki asked. Naruto turned around to see his sister sprawled out on the bed staring upside down at the television set. _'That's right, she's never seen a normal one before! The only screens around the bases were those connected to security cameras,'_

"That's not a camera monitor Tsuki, it's a television set,"

"A what?"

"Well you see…it's this magical box that lets you watch movies and cartoons," Naruto explained.

"What's a cartoon?" Tsuki queried.

'_Yep, I need to work on giving her a better childhood while she's still young,'_ Naruto thought as he picked up the remote. Tsuki watched as the screen flicked on and Naruto flipped through channels. He stopped after landing on a channel depicting animated characters arguing comically.

"I'm going out for a while and we'll go out for dinner when I get back. Stay in the room and don't answer the door for any reason," Naruto said as he said the remote down and made his way over to the door.

"Ok big brother…" Tsuki mumbled as she stared at the television screen, clearly mesmerized. "That ought to keep her busy for a while," Naruto chuckled as he stepped into the hallway and locked the door behind him.

Naruto groaned as he made his way down the hallway. "I really don't want to do this but there's no other-" The blonde suddenly disappeared, leaving behind a small puff of smoke in his place.

* * *

><p>"Way…" Naruto mumbled face first in the dirt. He looked around at his surrounding in utter confusion. One minute he was walking down a hallway in the hotel and the next he was in the middle of a nature preserve. And for some odd reason the atmosphere was much heavier than normal and he was having difficulty standing. <em>'What kind of sorcery is this?'<em>

"Ahem." Naruto turned around to see a small green toad in a black cloak and Konoha's own Toad Sage.

"Ero-sennin? What the hell is going on here?" Jiraiya was still to shocked to speak. The toad on the other hand began to chuckle. "Ero-sennin huh? Such a befitting name for Jiraiya-chan,"

Naruto however was not amused. "Ero-sennin, what's the meaning of this? And who's the geezer frog?" The toad's eye twitched in anger but he remained calm.

"My name is Fukasaku, one of the Great Sages Toads, and this place my boy is the sacred Mount Myōbuko, home of the toads," Fukasaku explained.

'_So this is where the toads live…but that still doesn't explain how I got here!'_

"How the hell did I get here?" Naruto asked.

"Oh that 'simple, I summoned you. And stop staring Jiraiya-chan get a hold of yourself," Fukasaku said hopping on to the Sannin's shoulder and closing his still agape mouth.

"You summoned me?" Naruto asked confused. By now he had managed to push himself to a sitting position.

"Of course, you're still bound by the contract you signed. Just as you can summon us whenever you please, we can do the same," the elder sage explained.

"I guess that kind of makes sense…but that doesn't explain _why_ I'm here?"

"Jiraiya-chan has been going on about searching for his long lost pupil. I don't know why he didn't just do this in the first place. Could've saved three years of fruitless wild goose chases," Fukasaku said flicking Jiraiya in his ear, awaking him from his stupor.

"Naruto is that really you?" Jiraiya asked hesitantly.

"No, I'm the Yondaime," came the blonde's answer.

But that was just the thing; He looked just like his father now that Jiraiya had actually believed him to be so. But that was just his imagination running wild, giving in to his hopes and dreams. There was no way that this was his old prodigy student before him. Instead, it was his son.

But alas, after three long years, he'd been reunited with his long lost godson. "So Naruto, how have you been all the-"

"Cut the small talk Jiraiya. What do you want?" Naruto interrupted him. He needed to get back to Tsuki _asap. _She was all alone in a gambling town filled with all kinds of rapists and crooks alike and there was no telling how far away he was from her.

"Naruto, at least tell me the truth. Have you really been with Orochimaru?" Jiraiya asked.

"Yeah, what of it?"

"Why Naruto? You must've had many opportunities to escape yet you stayed? Why Naruto? Why?"

"And go where?" Naruto interjected. "Back to Konoha?" Naruto saw the pained look on the elder man's face.

"Not a chance in hell so if that's what you wanted to talk about," Naruto stated.

"But why not?" Jiraiya pleaded.

"Why should I? What's there for me?"

"All of your friends, your loved ones Naruto. We miss you,"

"Duly noted. Geezer frog, send me back now," Naruto said carelessly. His response was met with a smack the back of his skull. He turned to glare at his mystery attacker and saw a large red toad hovering over him. "That's no way to talk to Fukasaku-sama,"

Naruto was a good two seconds from carving himself a new toad-skin wallet he stopped himself. _'Wait a minute…that voice…' _"Gamakichi?" Naruto asked looking up at the grinning face of the toad.

"Long time no see Naruto!" Gamakichi was off running an errand for his father went he felt a sudden spike on chakra in the area. It felt vaguely familiar so he decided to check it out. He had no Idea he'd find Naruto of all people here. Naruto was at a loss for words. He barely even recognized the not-so-little guy. Last time he'd seen him he was no bigger than Tonton. Gamakichi scooped Naruto up off the ground and brought him into a bone-crushing hug.

"It's nice to see that you've actually grown some," Gamakichi said setting the blonde back on the ground. "Me? What about you? Talk about putting on the pounds!"

Jiraiya watched on as the two friends caught up with one another. As much as he hated to break up a nice reunion, he had important matters to discuss. He approached the two teens and cleared his throat abruptly, catching their attention.

"Gamakichi I hate to cut your reunion short, but I must speak with Naruto. It's important," Jiraiya said.

"Oh it's cool, I just stopped by for a quick hello. I'm actually off to pick up something for my dad so I'll be going now. Don't be a stranger Naruto; Summon me up sometime." And with that, he leapt away.

"I think I hear Ma calling me. I'll see back at the House Jiraiya-chan. And it was nice to finally meet you Naruto Namikaze," Fukasaku said before leaping off Jiraiya's shoulder and bounding away.

After the Elder frog disappeared back into the small house, Jiraiya turned to face his former pupil. Naruto met his old teacher's gaze with a steely one of his own. "Look Jiraiya, I'm not-"

"I'm not taking you back to Konoha Naruto," He interrupted. Much to the boy's utter shock and confusion. "That is on one condition: stay here talk with me. I just want to know how you've been all these years. You do me this honor and I'll send you back and you'll never hear from me again. What do you say?," he pleaded. He could tell getting the boy to return was a lost cause by now but at he would be able to catch up with the boy.

Naruto looked the old sage over for any signs of deception but could find none. "Alright fine, but you get one hour," Naruto sighed.

So the old master and student pair spent the next hour catching up. Naruto told Jiraiya about the past three years of him life, varying from different escapades and quests he's been through to his advancements in training. He held off telling Jiraiya about the prophecy. He felt it best not to try and explain something to someone else when he didn't completely understand it himself. At the moment, he was telling Jiraiya about his arsenal of jutsu.

"I even surpassed dad and finished the Rasengan," Naruto said nonchalantly.

"Wait, whoa, hold up! You mean you actually completed the Rasengan?" Jiraiya asked disbelievingly. Naruto merely nodded. "You mind showing me?"

"I don't see why not," Naruto said standing up. Being around his old sensei for this past hour put him at ease. He felt comfortable around him enough again. And it was only fair that as one of the last rasengan users alive that he should be able to see his father's vision come to life.

Jiraiya stood up and watched as a white orb began to form in Naruto's hand. It took on the shape of a normal rasengan yet there were four pointed appendages like that of a shuriken.

"This here is phase two: the Wind Style: Rasengan," Naruto said. Jiraiya stared at the wind orb in the upmost adoration. Naruto rolled his eyes as the hermit pulled out a pad and began taking notes as he circled around him. Then a smirk appeared on his face as an idea came to him. "Stand back Ero-sennin."

Jiraiya shot him a confused look but obliged none the less. He backed away a couple of feet as Naruto raised the rasengan above his head. There was a loud, ear-piercing bell-like screech and the Rasengan expanded and the blade appendages grew out to about two feet in length. "And this is the final phase: the Rasenshuriken."

Jiraiya stood there slack jawed as he watched the spectacle before him. Here stood Naruto, a spitting image of his father and wielding the final version of his jutsu. _'He truly is a prodigy, just like his father…' _Jiraiya mused.

"CUT OUT ALL THAT RACKET!" Shima harped from the house.

"Now they've done it…" came Fukasaku's low grumble.

Naruto flinched at the sudden outburst and the jutsu immediately dissipated. Jiraiya laughed as the blonde's face went grim. He stepped forward and clapped him gently on the back. "Wow you really have grown Naruto, in body and spirit. I'm really proud of you and I'm sure your parents, god bless their souls wherever they may be, are too."

"Thanks…Ero-sennin. Look, it's about time I go, Tsuki is waiting on me," Naruto said, causing the toad hermit's eyebrow's to rise.

"Oh ho ho, you neglected to mention a girl earlier. Who is this-"

"It is _not _like that. She's eight," Naruto deadpanned.

"Naruto…pedoplism is a crime…" Naruto leveled an intense glare in the Sannin's direction and released some killer intent.

"Ok, ok I was kidding," Jiraiya backing away with his hands raised. "But seriously Naruto, what are you going to do now?" Jiraiya asked.

"I'm heading out east. My Father left something out there and I'm going to go reclaim it."

"Oh I see, well at least try to stay in contact. If you ever need anything, and I mean _anything_, don't hesitate to ask. Just contact the toads and they'll contact me, ok?"

Naruto hesitated to answer but he saw the pleading look in the old man's eyes. "Alright…I'll try," Naruto sighed. The toad Sannin smiled.

"Last thing, this meeting never took place. Tsunade would skin me alive if she ever found out I let you go," Jiraiya chuckled.

"Yeah, yeah whatever. So how does this thing work do I just-" The blonde's sentence went unfinished as he disappeared in a cloud of smoke, leaving the toad mountain sage to his own devices.

* * *

><p>"Have to do some-" Naruto stopped talking when he realized where he was. He was back in the hotel hallway in the exact spot he was before. He glanced around and saw an elderly couple staring at him wide-eyed. Naruto chuckled nervously as he scratched the back of his head and went downstairs.<p>

'Well that was awkward. Now what was I doing…oh yeah!' Naruto entered the lobby and approached the receptionist desk. Only the woman that checked him in wasn't there. Instead it was a blonde, twenty to twenty-three years of age or so if he had to guess. She looked up when she saw him approaching.

"Why hello there cutie, what can I do for ya?" she smiled at him.

"Uh yeah…what's a good place to earn some quick cash around here?" Naruto asked.

"Um let's see…well there's the Red Dragon Casino. There some high stake gambling that goes on there. Why, you plan of becoming a get-rich-quick millionaire or something sweetie?"

"Um no, I just want to earn back the money I spent on this hotel. Can you tell me where it is?" the woman just laughed, attracting the attention of a few passersby and embarrassing Naruto a bit. "I feel you on that one honey. Here I'll write the direction's down for ya," she said as she scribble down some notes onto a small slip of paper.

"Here you go baby boy," She help the paper out to Naruto and just as he was about to grasp it, she withdrew it out of his reach. "Now don't go blowing all your lunch money out there," she teased before finally handing it over.

"Gee Thanks…" Naruto said accepting the slip before making his way out the hotel's front doors.

"Don't be a stranger now ya here!" the receptionist called after him.

* * *

><p>Naruto followed the instructions written on the paper down to the T and found himself in front of a in front of a large red building. The architecture was foreign to him and there was a red celestial dragon statue on the roof holding a sign in its mouth that read "The Red Dragon." "How blatantly obvious," Naruto said as he stepped inside.<p>

The smell of smoke, sweat, anger, and fear immediately invaded his nose. He look around his surroundings in disgust. Off to the sides were of group of prostitutes attempting to lure in male pray like mermaids; there was a group of men all smoking some questionable substance out of a grimy pipe, and the centerpiece of it all: three women up on a stage in the back stripping as the expertly worked their body around a metal pole.

'_High stakes my ass,'_ Naruto scoffed. He bit back his tongue as yet another person rudely bumped his shoulder. They were all so lucky he didn't have a sadistic, homicidal side. Naruto pushed his way through the crowd toward a counter along the side wall where he found a man resting his head on the countertop.

"Excuse me," Naruto said causing the man to lazily lift his head to look at him. "What's the best way to earn some quick cash in here?" He asked. The man just stared at him with tired eyes. "You're a bit young to be gambling. Shouldn't you be off in school or something?" the man drawled.

"Aren't you supposed to be doing your job and not sleeping?" Naruto shot back. The man continued to look at him curiously. "Touché. Try your luck on Pachinko machines over there," he said pointing to his left. "Or if you're feeling bold, try the Hanafuda tables in the back."

Naruto looked around and found the aforementioned games. "Thanks you," he said walking away. "Yeah whatever," came the man's sleepy reply.

Naruto went to the Pachinko machines first. They were only a few open, the rest being taken up by elderly people. He saw a woman who looked too much like Tsunade for his comfort so he moved on. So he made his way back to the card tables were men were playing what the man had called Hanafuda. Naruto stopped at one table to observed one game. He'd never heard of it before and decided to try and observe the basics before giving ago.

Naruto was standing there idly for a good watching for a good ten minutes. He had a basic understanding so far but wanted to watch a little while longer. Then, out of nowhere, a body crashed into him. Naruto stumbled back but caught himself and the person that fell into him. Naruto looked down to see a man sporting a bloody nose.

A short moment later, three burly men pushed through the crowd toward his direction. People moved to the side, forming a small circle around them as they came to a halt in front of Naruto. "Now we're not going to ask you again Daisuke, Leave now!"

The man, Daisuke, stood back on his feet with some help from Naruto. "Why should I? I have just as much right to bet on the tournament as anybody else!" he said.

"Not when you owe us as much money as you do! You're lucky the boss hasn't cut you pieces and spread you all across water country to feed the fishes," one of the thugs said.

"I'm not moving from this spot," Daisuke said defiantly.

"Then we'll make you move," another one of the thugs said moving closer. He raised his brass-knuckled fist and swung at Daisuke only to have it caught by a hand before it ever made contact. He turned to see a blonde boy holding his fist.

"Look, I'd don't know what the problem is but there's no need for violence," Naruto said in a calm voice.

"Move boy before I have to smack you around too!" the thug screamed as he tried to pull his hand free, but to no avail. Naruto had a strong grip on him. "Fine you asked for it!" he yelled swinging his other hand at Naruto's face. It never connected as his wrist was twisted by Naruto, causing him to scream in pain.

"Why you little Bastard!" one of his companions yelled rushing forth with a pipe. Naruto let go of the first man's wrist and sidestepped the incoming blow. He kicked the already off-balanced man in his leg, causing him to trip and fall as he ran by. The last man came up behind Naruto and put him in a headlock in an attempted to choke him out. Naruto remained calm and drove his elbow straight into the man's gut. His assailant doubled over and crumpled to the floor.

Everyone watching gasps in surprises as Naruto made short work of the henchmen. Daisuke stared at the blonde boy incredulously but that looked suddenly turned to fear when he saw who was approaching.

"Why don't you try that on somebody my size boy," came a deep, gruff voice behind Naruto. Something whistled through the air heading straight for Naruto's skull but he blocked t expertly with a kunai. Naruto turned to find his mystery attacker leaning against a wall. He was a tall hefty man, built a lot like Jiraiya only much more heavy set and younger. He was dressed in a dark grey sleeveless kimono shirt and black pants. A zweihänder-type sword hung from a harness on his back.

"Not too shabby. You're not a normal kid from the looks of it. But look here, you're causing quite a ruckus here so leave now and I won't kill you where you stand," he said with a yawn. Naruto scoffed at this and was about to retort when Daisuke stepped in front of him.

"Heheh nice to see you as always Hidenori. Silly kid here must've spent too much time in the sun. We were just leaving," he laughed nervously.

"Daisuke, if I catch you in here again without the boss's money I'll end your feeble existence," the man, Hidenori, said.

Daisuke wasted no time in trying to usher Naruto out of the door, but the blonde only glared at Hidenori, refusing to budge. "Look kid, you'll only make things worse if you stay so let's get out of here," Daisuke pleaded. Naruto was reluctant but finally agreed. The last thing he needed was to cause an incident in public and draw attention to himself, especially this close to Konoha. He turned away after leveling one last glare and followed Daisuke out of the establishment.

Hidenori smirked as he watched their retreating figures. But his look quickly became one of annoyance as he noticed people still loitering around long after the dispute was settle. "What are all of you standing around for? Scram!" The people jumped and immediately dispersed. "And you three!" He boomed, looking at the thugs still nursing their wounds on the ground. "Storage room, NOW!"

* * *

><p>A few minutes later, Naruto found himself sitting in a booth in a café. He had been reluctantly led there by Daisuke. The man insisted that he made it up to him for saving him. Daisuke returned and with him he brung a plate full of onigiri, a bottle of sake, and two saucers. He set the food on the table and offered Naruto a saucer, but he shook his head.<p>

"I don't drink," Naruto said.

"Oh I see," Daisuke said sitting down. "So what's a kid like you doing in a place like that? It's not a playground you know," Daisuke asked as he filled up his own saucer. Naruto's eye twitched in anger from all the jabs at his age today.

"I was just looking for some quick cash. The hotel my sister and I staying at was very expensive and we're low on traveling funds now," Naruto replied.

"Yeah it's like that around here. You got to do whatever you got to do to make a profit around here," Daisuke said understanding as he took a bite out of one of the balls of rice.

"Why were those men harassing you?" Naruto ask curiously.

"Let's just say I owe their boss some money and I can't exactly pay it right now. If they would've just let me bet on the tournament I could've gotten their money and more," Daisuke said tightening his fists.

"Tournament?"

"Yeah, it's this fighter's tournament held every year. It's just like the Chūnin tournaments that Shinobi villages hold, except on a larger scale. There are usually twenty to thirty participants each year. It used to be a civil tradition held by nobles for people to show off their skills but now it's been degraded to a bloody fight club where every match is one to the death," He explained as he drained his saucer.

"Hidenori, the big guy you met earlier, has won the tournament every year for the last five years. No matter who goes against him, he always seems to come out on top. He even bested a Hidden Cloud Jōnin last year. But I have a feeling this year someone will step up and finally take him down. But I can't bet and I'm not the fighter-type so unless I found someone to sponsor, I can't enter. Sign-up ends tomorrow and I have no idea where I could possibly find a-" Daisuke stopped his rant as his eyes fell upon Naruto, who was listening intently the whole time. It was then an idea came to him. Naruto had seen that crazy glint in his eye and knew what was about to happen.

"Kid-"

"No, absolutely not," Naruto interrupted.

"But kid-"

"I said no!" Naruto reiterated.

"Come on why not? I saw the way you took down those thugs back in the casino and how you blocked Hidenori's attack like it was nothing. I bet you can take him any day of the week!" Daisuke pleaded. Naruto scoffed at his understatement. He could utterly destroy that man without as so much as breaking a sweat. He didn't spend the last three years training with a Sannin for nothing.

"No, I can't. I'm just looking for a quick fix so we came get back on the road and-"

"Four million ryo," Daisuke interrupted him.

Naruto looked at him confusedly. "Come again?"

"That's the prize money: four million ryo," Daisuke said.

'_Damn…that's a lot of money. We'd be set for weeks, hell even months!'_ Naruto thought. He was starting to take the offer into consideration. With that kind of money he and Tsuki wouldn't have to worry about money for a long while. But that also meant staying in town longer, raising his chance of someone recognizing him considerably. But at the same time, one doesn't just say no to _four million _ryo.

Daisuke saw the young blonde thinking it over and figured he just needed a little extra push. "Look, this a golden opportunity kid. All you have to do is make it to the finals and beat Hidenori. Easy money and we split the profits 50-50. What do you say?"

"…Alright." Naruto finally caved in.

"Great, that's just great kid! Ok here's the plan: we'll meet here tomorrow morning around nine and go down to the stadium and register you. After that's all done, we'll sit down and talk strategy. Sound good?"

"Sure."

"Alright kid I'll see you-"

"Naruto, not kid," Naruto said. He didn't like being called out of his name.

"Alright then Naruto, I'll see you tomorrow." With that, the dark-haired man got up and left the café, already brainstorming about the upcoming events the next few days would bring.

Naruto sighed as he got up and left. It was early evening my now and he decided to make his way back to the hotel. Tsuki was bound to have gotten bored and if she was anything like him, she was hungry right now.

"What have I gotten myself into…" Naruto sighed as he continued to walk down the street.

* * *

><p>And Yet another chapter comes to a close! I really can't believe it's been four months since I've started this but i guess time flies when you're having fun lol<p>

Oh and while I have your attention, could someone point out some good Fics to read. I find the quiality of Fics poor nowadays. Majority follow the same cliche plot lines. And lets not forget how they portray poor Sasuke. Nearly every story I've read Has him as a power hungry, revenge-driven, egotistical bastard. I mean sometimes it's worse than canon Sasuke. I'm just ranting cause Sasuke is my favorite character and I'm upset with the way he's treated (Yes I'm being biased, FTW). I believe mine to be original (Sasuke's not evil, Naruto doesn't go back to Konoha, Neither are paired with a Konoha/Suna girl) and if you don't see it that way, I hope you soon will.

So yeah could you please sends some suggestions my way. I'd prefer that'd they'd be complete already because I leave in September and I'd rather not have to stop reading and be kept in suspense (If they're 2-3 chaps from completion that's fine too.)

Last thing before I goes, could you guys do me another favor (Last one I promise!) and spread the word about my story. I figure that if you all love it so much it would be utterly selfish of us not to share it with the rest of the world. Hell, my cousin isn't even an anime fan and she loves it. more views would give me more motivation which could in turn lead to more and faster updates. It's science guys!

Well that concludes this weeks edition. You guys know what to do! ^^

Working hard/Hardly working and devoted author

-White Chidori

P.S: Divine finally broke 100k words! Woot! :D


	15. Tsuki's Day Out

**Hits: 37,858**

**Favs: 203**

**Alerts: 193**

Soooooo...I finally got a new laptop. My last one got hit with some virus that was sweeping the the country or something and i had to get it replaced. I lost EVERYTHING and it took me awhile to actually find motivation to retype this whole chapter. I had a ton more story ideas i had typed up and now they're all gone. :'(

I was so pissed but I finally got through it. I remember my other stories ideas but it took so much effort typing those that I really don't feel like doing it again so I'm just going to concentrate on this.

And while I have you guys attention, I want to answer a few frequent questions I've gotten.

1. Naruto is _**NOT**_ returning to Konoha (EVER!)

2. Naruto is _**NOT**_ paired with Yumiko

3. This filler has nothing to do with the main story whatsoever (But there is an important event). I just don't want the story advancing too fast and since I already started it I'm going to finish it. I can also use this time to finalize what exactly is going to happen next (I make a lot of changes on the fly). I hope to get back into the action scenes soon.

But till then, here's...

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter XV: Tsuki's Day Out<strong>

It's was late in the morning and the sun was already high in the sky. The streets were already busy and filled to the brim with people. Everyone was up and about trying to get in some last minute bets on the upcoming fighters tournament. Well almost everyone.

In a room on the fifth floor of a hotel not far off from the town's center, there was a blonde resting peacefully as ever. The penetrating rays of the sun invade the room through the small slits in the blinds and cast themselves upon the blonde's face. There was an ungraceful moan and the figure sat up.

Tsuki rubbed the sleep out of her eyes as she stretched and let out a tired groan. She had stayed up most of the night before watching all kinds of cartoons and children's programs. They were all so mesmerizing and entertaining that she found herself unable to tear her eyes away from the screen.

"Big brother I'm hungry," Tsuki moan as she rubbed her eyes again. The statement was met with silence. "Narutoooo," she whined looking over to her brother's bed only to see it empty. Instead, there was a piece of paper with some scribbled on it resting on the pillow. Tsuki climbed out from underneath the covers and hopped down out the bed. She walked over and picked up the note, immediately recognizing her brother's handwriting.

_Tsuki,_

_I went out this morning to take care of some business. Something came up and we'll be staying in town for a few more days. You are to __**stay in the room.**_ _Breakfast is being served downstairs on the hotel dining hall until 11:00 and lunch will be served at 2:00. Use the green pass on the nightstand to get food. Other than to go eat, __**Do not leave the room for any reason! **__I should be back by sunset and I'll take us to go get dinner. You know the rules: Don't talk to strangers, No playing with fire, No releasing creepy crawlies all throughout the hotel, Don't break anything, No using your sword indoors, and most importantly: __**stay in the room.**__ Be a good girl and stay out of trouble. I'll see you later. And Remember: __**STAY IN THE ROOM! (I MEAN IT!)**_

_Best brother in the whole world,_

_Naruto_

Tsuki sighed as she placed the note back on the bed. Naruto would be gone all day and she'd be all alone. It wouldn't be so bad if he didn't suck all the fun out of it. And she had this daunting suspicion that she wasn't supposed to leave the room. She looked over to a clock on the nightstand to see it read 10:18 am. _'Better go get breakfast while they're still serving,'_ Tsuki thought to herself.

She walked over to her bag and pulled out a scroll in which all her clothes were sealed. She unsealed a pair of black slacks, a blue summer dress, and a fresh pair of undergarments. She put the scroll back in the bag and then walked into the bathroom. The sound of running water filled the room as Tsuki hopped into the shower. "A clean little girl is a happy little girl" Naruto always told her.

She spent the next few minutes washing away yesterday's filth. Tsuki hopped out the shower and toweled off before getting dressed. She then picked up a comb lying on the counter and began combing out her long blonde locks. Naruto had always stressed the importance of personal hygiene.

After she finished ridding her hair of any unwanted knots, she took her black headband and retied it in her hair. Tsuki looked at herself in the mirror one last time smiled merrily before leaving the bathroom. She walked over to the night stand and picked up her food pass. There was a key on the table which she presumed was for the room so she took that too.

Tsuki left the room, making sure to lock it behind herself, and skipped down the hall towards the stairs as she hummed to herself. She emerged in the lobby downstairs a few moments later. She looked around but could not locate the cafeteria her brother spoke of. She saw a blonde woman sitting at the receptionist desk filing her nails and figured that she must work here so she might know.

Tsuki walked over to the receptionist desk where the woman was sitting. "Um excuse me?" She called out over the tall counter. The woman flinched and began scanning her surroundings trying to locate the source of the voice. "Down here," the voice said again.

The woman peered over the counter to see Tsuki standing there staring up at her. "Why hello there! What can I do for you baby girl?" the woman asked.

"Can you tell me where the dining hall is?" Tsuki asked holding up her green food pass.

"Oh it's down that hall. Make the first left and keep going down. You can't miss it!" the older blonde smiled.

"Ok, thanks a bunch!" Tsuki beamed before skipping off in the direction the woman pointed out. _'Oh my she was an adorable one!' _the woman mused as she went back to filing her nails.

Tsuki followed the woman's instructions and she was right; you couldn't miss it. The hallway opened up into the eating area and there was large buffet counter sitting in the back. The place was pretty empty considering it was so late in the morning and the other guest more than likely ate already. Tsuki wasn't sure where to get food so she decided to ask the man at the back counter.

The smell of food invaded her small nostrils as she crossed the room and drew closer, making her mouth water and stomach growl. Tsuki walked up to the counter and rung the small bell to get the man's attention. The chef turned around to see a little blonde girl standing at the counter. "Hello there sweetheart, how can I help you?" he asked sweetly.

"Um, is this where I go to get food?" Tsuki asked showing him her ticket. The chef took it from her and began looking it over carefully. After verifying its authenticity, he took a pen out of his shirt pocket and marked a circle next to the word _breakfast_ on the ticket. "Sure is little lady," he said handing it back to her. He then reached under the counter and pulled out a plate. "Eat as much as you want," he said handing her the plate and gesturing to the empty breakfast buffet laid out beside him.

Stars filled Tsuki's eyes as they surveyed the mass of food set out. Majority of it was gone because of the other guests but there was more than enough left for her. The man watched in awe as the little girl in front of him packed her plate with pancakes, eggs, sausage, bacon, and biscuits before filling up a rather tall glass with orange juice. _'She's just like that boy from earlier!'_

After packing on all the food on to her plate possible, Tsuki took her glass of juice and sat herself at and empty able nearby. "Big brother said the only way to get bigger it too eat a lot and healthily," she said to herself as she cut up her pancakes. The chef and other _residents that lingered in the cafeteria stared in amazement as the small child took down_ the mountain of food before her.

She couldn't help that she needed to eat a lot due to her high metabolism. After she scraped the plate for every last morsel of food, Tsuki washed it all down with the glass of orange juice. She looked around the room and saw another counter piled with what looked like dirty dishes and figured that's where she should put hers. Tsuki got up from the table, pushed in her chair, walk over to deposit her dishes, and left the room, oblivious to the stares of bewilderment that fell upon her. _'Where does it all go?'_

Staying true to her brother's wishes, Tsuki went straight back to their room. She turned on the television before flopping down on the bed. It didn't take long before she was once again locked in a mythical trance brought on by cartoons.

* * *

><p>"<em>I guess you're right…I am just a kid."<em>

"_Of course I'm right, ok Neptune time to kill-"_

"_And you know, I've been through a lot in the past six days, five minutes, twenty-seven and a half seconds. And if I've learned anything during that time, it's that you are who you are," said the yellow hero._

"_That's right…ok Neptune-"_

"_And no amount of mermaid magic…or managerial promotion…or some other third thing can make me anything more than what I really am inside: a kid,"_

"_That's great, now get back against the wall," said the small green villain._

"_But that's ok!"_

"_Huh, what's going on?"_

"_Cause I did what everybody said a kid couldn't do! I made it to shell city, and I beat the Cyclops, and I rode the Hasselhoff, and I brought the crown back!"_

"_Alright, we get the point,"_

"_So yeah, I'm a kid, and I'm also a goofball, and a wingnut, and a knucklehead Mcspazatron!"_

"_Huh…w-what's going on here?"_

"_But most of all, I'm…"_

"_Ok settle down,"_

"_I'm…"_

"_Take it easy,"_

"_I'M…"_

"_What the scallop?"_

"_I'M-"_

"So very bored," Tsuki said turning off the television. She lay on her back sprawled out across her bed. She had been watching cartoons for the last three hours and grew tired of it. Tsuki lazily rolled over to look at the clock and see that it read 1:48 pm. She groaned loudly into her pillow.

She was bored as all get out and there was nothing left to do. Watching television got old after a while and she was struggling to keep entertained. The fact that she was confined to the room severely limited her options. She had considered going outside for a short while to at least catch some fresh air, but that would mean disobeying her big brother. But the more she thought about it, the better the idea sounded.

'_It'll only be for a short while…I can't sit in here all day. I'll go crazy!'_ Tsuki pondered. She was going over the pros and cons of her plan before actually trying to set anything in motion. After a few minutes, Tsuki sat up as she clapped her hands together. "Alright, I'm doing it. It's not like brother will find out," She said hopping down from the bed.

"I wouldn't be too sure about that," a voice hissed.

The blonde girl let out a high-pitch shriek as she leapt to the farthest corner of the room. She was busy trying to steady heart rate when she heard low chuckling coming from underneath her bed. _'Wait a minute….that sounds like…'_ Tsuki thought as she crawled over to her bed. She lifted up the sheets hanging off the side and came face to face with a small pair of red, serpentine eyes.

"You!" she growled glaring at the black snake hiding under the bed. "What are you doing here?"

Ryousuke lazily slithered out from underneath the bed. He coiled himself up in front of Tsuki, meeting the blonde's glare with a tired glance of his own. "What do you mean? I've always been here," the serpent yawned. He had been hiding out in the bottom of Naruto's backpack. Black and heat did not go well together and he'd be damned if he was going to sit out in the sun roasting away.

"Why are you here?" Tsuki hissed.

"I go wherever Naruto goes silly child. And unfortunately, I've been given the loathsome task of babysitting," Ryousuke sighed.

"What do you mean babysitting?" Tsuki queried.

"Naruto has given me the task of making sure that you remain in this room until he returns," Ryousuke stated.

'_Just great!' _Tsuki screamed in her head. She didn't expect Naruto to have someone keep an eye on her, but at the same time she wasn't that surprised. She did tend to have a rebellious nature at times.

"Well….im gonna go out for a bit-"

"Can't let you do that," Ryousuke interrupted her.

"Why not?" Tsuki roared.

"Because, Naruto said you aren't to leave this room for any reason other than breakfast and lunch."

"Well I'm hungry," Tsuki argued.

"No you're not, you're just saying that to get out of the room," Ryousuke deadpanned.

"Nuh uh, I'm really hungry!" And she wasn't lying. She'd it was just about lunchtime and her growling stomach was telling her to get some food immediately.

"Tsuki, I'm well aware of your little schemes so you can't-"

"I'M HUNGRY AND I WANT FOOD SO IF YOU DON'T LET ME GO I'M TELLING NARUTO!" the petit blonde roared, causing Ryousuke to flinch. There was a hint of seriousness in her voice and even if she was lying, he'd have no way of knowing it. And it wouldn't look good if she was telling the truth and she ended up starving. This whole situation was getting more troublesome by the second.

"Alright…fine," Ryousuke sighed in defeat. Tsuki's face lit up as she smirked victoriously. Her victory was short lived as she saw the snake making its way over to her. "What do you think you're doing?" Ryousuke ignored her as he began to wrap himself around Tsuki's midsection, much to her displeasure.

"What the big idea?" Tsuki cried as she tried to pry him off. The serpent's hold only tightened the more she fought. "Get off of me!"

"Can't do that. If you leave the room, I am to accompany you," Ryousuke said simply. It was another order given to him by Naruto. He knew the child wouldn't willingly take him so this was the next best thing, much to his own displeasure.

"I can't walk around with all wrapped around my stomach you dummy, I'll look stupid!" Tsuki protested.

"Hush your whining petty human; I'm well aware of that! I've got a plan," With that said, ryousuke's body began to change. His once slick, scaly skin was now had a feathery, sequin feel to it. Tsuki watched in awe as the slimy creature she once detested became a beautiful black sash that encircled her waist. It was into a medium sized bow in the back.

"Problem solved. Now let's go," Ryousuke said. Tsuki stared in amazement for a few more seconds before she shook from her stupor. She decided to hurry and leave before he changed his mind and she was stuck in the room for god knows how many more hours. Tsuki quickly slipped on her sandals and retrieved a small, fat green pouch from her bag. She made sure to take some of the new allergy medicine that Naruto had got her before heading out the door

She made sure to lock the door before making her way toward the staircase that led downstairs. When she emerged in the lobby, Tsuki found it fairly empty, save for a few elderly folks sitting on various benches reading a book. Tsuki was about to walk down the hall that led to the dining hall, but then an idea came to her. Instead, she started walking towards the front entrance, but she felt the sash around her middle tightening.

"Where do you think you're going?" Ryousuke hissed. He had gone with Naruto that morning to the dining hall and knew for a fact that this was not the way to go.

"I told you, I'm going out," Tsuki said simply as she continued to walk. She could feel him tightening more but she kept walking. "There isn't much you can do now either since we're downstairs. If you keep squeezing me like that I won't be able to breathe. Then I'll pass out and have to go to the hospital. I bet big brother would not be happy about that. And if you turn back into a snake, you'll freak everybody out and someone will most likely stomp you to death while I make my grand escape," she explained with a devious grin.

Ryousuke cursed as he loosened his grip on her. She was right, there was no way he could keep her from leaving without causing a big commotion. He mentally vilified himself for falling victim to one of her schemes. All he could do now was accompany her wherever she went and keep her out of trouble to the best of his abilities. "You win this time you hairless monkey…" Ryousuke said under his breath as he and Tsuki stepped outside.

* * *

><p>Tsuki strolled down the street with her hands cross crossed behind her back. She stared up in awe at all of the multi-colored signs and décor that decorated the city. Lucky for her, the streets were much less crowded today than they were yesterday so she could walk freely down the road without bumping into someone every two seconds.<p>

"I wonder where I should go first?" Tsuki pondered. The low growl coming from her belly answered her question. Tsuki scanned her surroundings and found a small café sitting on a street corner. "I'll try in there," she said as she maneuvered through the crowd toward the café.

Tsuki stumbled into the restaurant to find it mostly empty, save for a small group of young boys horsing around in the back and an older man sitting at the high counter top reading a newspaper and drinking what looked to be coffee. Tsuki walked over to a booth against the far wall and took a seat. A short moment later, a waitress arrived to take her order.

"Hey there sugar plum, what can I get you?" the red haired lady asked.

"Um…do you guys have any ramen?" Tsuki asked looking over the menu but not finding any.

"Sure do; miso, chicken, and veggie. They come in sizes small, medium, and large," the woman replied.

"Oh then can I have large five bowls of miso please?" Tsuki smiled as she placed the menu back on the table.

The woman raised an eyebrow as she looked at the little blonde before her. "Sure thing…I'll have it right out," she said walking off after scribbling down the order. She had calculated in her mind that it should be next to impossible for a child her size, a scrawny girl at that, to be able to eat all that. But experience had taught her that it was best to not ask questions lest she wanted to have another experience like with that blonde boy a few years ago.

Tsuki sat there swinging her feet, which much to her dismay still couldn't reach the floor, and humming to herself as she traced patterns into the glossy wooden tabletop. Her mind began to wonder as she pondered where they were headed next. Naruto wouldn't tell her anything other than that their destination was in the Land of Water.

After a few moments, the waitress returned and set down five steaming bowls filled to the brim with ramen. "He you are," The waitress said. "Thank you very much! Itadakimasu!" Tsuki exclaimed before digging into the first bowl. The waitress retreated back to the kitchen area and watched in horror along with the few customers that were there as the small blonde girl devoured the contents of the bowls placed in front of her.

There was something unnatural about a small body like that practically inhaling such an amount of food. But to Tsuki it was just right. It seemed rather gluttonous but she couldn't help it. She was growing and her body needed the energy, at least that's what Naruto told her. The bowls of ramen never stood a chance as they were polished off in a matter minutes. Tsuki smacked her lips satisfactorily as she rubbed her now full belly.

After letting her food digest for a minute, Tsuki pulled out her fat green frog wallet. Naruto called it "Gama-chan" and gave it to her for her seventh birthday. She absolutely adored it and Naruto had made it a point that the only way to keep Gama-chan happy was to keep him nice and fat. Tsuki carried ten thousand ryo on her person that Naruto gave to her every month. It was mostly for emergencies but since she was hardly in trouble, she just blew it off on new toys and food.

Tsuki pulled out 1600 ryo and set it on the table. She made sure to leave a tip for the waitress after Naruto had drilled proper manners and what not into her. She hopped down out of the booth and smoothed out the wrinkles in her dress. "Today is actually going pretty well," Tsuki smiled to herself as she made her way over to the door.

"I wouldn't be so uppity about it. You're bound to run into trouble sooner or later," Ryousuke said.

"Oh shut up you big grouch. Nothing bad is gonna happen," Tsuki said as she opened the door. Unfortunately, someone opened it just as she had and she tripped. Tsuki wanted nothing more than to eat her words when she saw the man she fell into.

* * *

><p>Naruto Sighed as he walked down the road with Daisuke at his side. They had just completed the cumbersome task of registering Naruto in the tournament. Now they were on their way to go get lunch and discuss what to do next.<p>

"Let's go in here," Daisuke suggested as he pointed to a small café sitting on a corner. Naruto shrugged and the made their way over to the little restaurant. Naruto made to open the door but when he did, he felt someone fall into his midsection. The blonde was totally caught off guard by the whole ordeal and grasped tightly onto door to keep from falling.

Naruto stumbled for a moment before regaining his balance completely. He looked down to see a small girl in a red dress with a white ribbon around her middle. Her long black hair fell forward and prevented him from seeing her face. "Sorry about that little miss, I didn't see you there," Naruto apologized.

"No, It is I who should be sorry sir, I wasn't paying attention to wear I was going," She said in a meek voice.

"Well no one got hurt and that's what's important," Naruto smiled at her.

"Yes indeed. I have to go now!" The girl said hurriedly as she took off running. Naruto watched her as she ran but his mind was soon filled with visions of the black haired girl from his dreams. They'd been rather frequent as of lately and he still couldn't make sense of what they meant or who exactly she was.

Daisuke looked at Naruto with concerned eyes as the blonde stared off into the distance. "Naruto-san?"

Naruto immediately shook his head free of all thoughts at the call of him name. He turned to see Daisuke staring up at him with slight worry in his eyes. "Sorry about, I kind of zoned out there," Naruto said sheepishly as he scratched the back of his head.

He and Daisuke quickly put the altercation behind them and went inside to eat. But all throughout his meal, Naruto couldn't help but feel that there was something familiar about that little girl from before. _'Wait a minute that girl looked an awful lot like…Naww, There's no way that was her…'_

* * *

><p>Tsuki released a breath she didn't even know she was holding as she rounded a corner into an alley and slid to a stop. Of all the people to run into she hadn't expected her own brother to be one of them. She would've been busted big time had she not been quick on her toes and transformed her looks. She couldn't do much beyond changing colors but it was enough to do the trick. Tsuki continued to breathe heavily as she caught her breath and dropped the henge.<p>

"You were saying?" came Ryousuke smug voice.

"Shut up!"

Tsuki remained in the alley for another five minutes. After finally stabilizing her breathing and making sure the coast was clear, she swiftly left the alleyway and blended into the crowd. She spent the next two hours walking around the city and taking in the sights. Most of her stroll was event-free save for the time a strange man in a trench coat offered her "special candies." An accusatory finger and one loud shout of "Stanger Danger" was enough to send the man fleeing as people began to eye him strangely.

Tsuki now found herself walking through a park, ice cream cone in hand. She was again humming to herself as she ate the frozen treat. Tsuki had managed to keep a cheery attitude about her all day, at least until she saw all of the families scattered about. She was a bit jealous to see other kids playing with their mommies and daddies. She couldn't remember anything at all about her parents. Her earliest memory was of Naruto.

She used to always feel sad knowing that she never had any parents around but Naruto had assured her that even though they were without a mom and dad, they were still a family none the less. She smiled at the word family as Naruto, Karin and Sasuke came to mind. This was always enough to push away any sad feelings as she grateful for the people she did have around.

They were no mommy or daddy but they all had her best interest in mind, which made them kind of like parents. Tsuki was very appreciative of the precious people she did have but at times she wondered what it would actually be like to have a _real_ family, mother and father included.

Tsuki was knocked away from her thoughts when someone bumped into her, causing her to almost drop her ice cream. _'Stupid jerk!'_ Tsuki screamed in her head as she glared at the person.

It was a young boy running past her carrying some sort of doll in his hand. Less than a second later, four more boys rushed past her laughing as they chased after their friend. _'Bunch of hooligans…'_ Tsuki thought as she watched them turn behind a wall of bushes.

"Hey give her back!" A shrill voice called out.

Tsuki turned to see a girl somewhere near her age run past her and off in the direction of the group of boys. She was obviously tired but pushed on to try and catch up. "Give her back!" she called again as she disappeared behind into the brush. Tsuki shrugged her shoulders and continued on her way. She didn't make it ten steps before a daunting suspicion overcame her. "I have a bad feeling about this," she sighed.

* * *

><p>A girl came to a stop in front of a group of boys who were resting at an abandoned playground. They were all laughing and passing around a doll. They were too busy mocking the doll to even notice she was there.<p>

"Give…Kagome…back!" the girl yelled between pants. The boys stopped laughing and turned to her with amused faces.

"Oh so you want your dolly back?" One boy said holding up by one arm. She recognized him as the boy who stole it from her and the leader of the little troop.

"Yes give her back!" the girl screamed. She was scared beyond all get out but had put on her angriest and bravest face as she spoke. She'd hope it was enough to convince them that she meant business.

"If that was the case, all you had to do was ask. Here…come get it," He said holding it out to her. The girl stared in shock and confusion. After all that time they had spent playing keep away from her she hadn't expected them to give her doll back so easily.

"Well do you want it or not?" He said irritated as he shook it. The girl shook from her stupor and slowly began advancing toward the boy. The faster she got her doll back, the faster she could get back to the safe and watchful eyes of her parents. If there was one thing she'd learned from this it was to not wonder off.

She carefully reached out for her doll. She was almost home-free now. All she had to do was take it in her hands and run away as fast as she could. "On second thought…" The boy pulled away at the last moment and she found herself being held by two of the other boys. No matter how much she struggled, she wasn't strong enough to break their grip. "Hey let me go!" she screamed at them.

"We'll let you go and you can even have your stupid doll back, but first…"The boy said leaning in close to her face. "You have to kiss me," He finished with a lecherous gleam in his eyes.

"Nice one boss!"

"Yeah, good thinking" the other two boys exclaimed.

"No way!" the girl screamed. There was no way she way was giving up her first kiss to a ruffian like him. She wanted it to be special and with the love of her life. That and she was only eight-years old. She just wasn't ready yet. She struggled even harder to escape but the boys' grip remained firm. "I said no! let go of me!"

"You can either do this quietly or I can just take it from you, but one way or another, I'm not leaving here without a kiss," the boy said shrugging his shoulders with an evil grin.

"Never!" the girl protested.

"Whatever, your call," he said nonchalantly. Her grabbed her by the chin and forced her to look at him. "Pucker up" he said as he leaned in toward her face. She thrashed with all her might but she just could not break free. _'No! it's not supposed to be like this! Mommy! Daddy! Somebody help me!' _

"OW!" As if on cue, she heard a small thud and the boy let go her chin as he yelped in pain. She looked up to see him holding rubbing a red mark on his forehead. "Hey! Who threw that?" the boy roared in anger.

His answer came in the form of a small rock sailing through the air and slamming into his forehead. "Ouch!" the boy cried as he rubbed the afflicted area. "Show yourself!" he screamed as he they all looked around for the mysterious assailant. Giggling was heard above them and they all looked up to see a blonde girl sitting in a tree. Her head lay in hand as she rested her arm on her knee while she tossed around a few rocks in her other hand. She wore a highly amused grin.

"Hey, are you the one throwing these?" the boy called out holding up the latest projectile that struck him. The girl didn't answer but instead launched another rock, slightly bigger than the last two, and it struck dead center in the middle of his forehead. "You mean like that?" the girl laughed as the boy whimpered and rubbed the small bruise.

She hopped down from the tree and threw two more as she did. Both found their marks in the eye and nose of the two boys that held onto the girl. Both released her almost immediately and cried out as they tended to their wounds. The girl wasted no time in snatching up her doll, which the boy had dropped, and taking off running in the other girl's direction.

"Thank you very much!" She exclaimed before taking off again. She couldn't get away fast enough.

Tsuki smiled as the girl fled, back to her parents most likely. There was no telling what would've happened had she not followed them. She was glad that she did and that the other girl was safe now.

"What the hell is your problem?"

Tsuki turned back to the group of boys. The leader, she presumed, was standing there, obviously pissed off, burning a hole through her with his eyes. The other four stood beside him glaring as well.

Tsuki looked back at him confused. "What do you mean?" she asked.

"What do I mean? You were throwing rocks at us!" he bellowed.

Tsuki only cocked her head to the side, still confused. "But weren't you harassing that girl just now? I don't think she wanted any of your cooties."

"Mind your own damn business!" he retorted.

"You're scum," Tsuki said simply.

"Excuse me?" the boy asked threateningly.

"You are scum. That's what my big brother call boys like you. Only scum would pick on an innocent girl like that," she said.

The boy was boiling by now. "How about you say that to my face?" the boy roared.

"No thanks, I can smell you from here just fine and it's kinda gross. That and I don't want to catch anything. I'll be on my way now," Tsuki said with a smile and turned to leave. She didn't make it far before she found herself surrounded by the pack of boys. "Oh no you don't! where do you think you're going?" the leader said.

"Oh I'm going back home now. My brother will be home soon," Tsuki replied. She had had her fill of adventure for the day and decided it was best that she returned back to the hotel. It was around 4:30 and she wasn't exactly sure when Naruto would be back.

"Oh no you don't! You think you can just attack us and walk away scot-free? Not gonna happen!" The boy said as they slowly closed in on her. Tsuki just shook her head and sighed.

"My brother said I'm not supposed to pick on little boys."

"Oh I'll show you little! Get her!" all five boys rushed her at once.

Tsuki only stood there. She was mentally preparing to defend herself but he brother's words replayed in her mind. _"Now Remember Tsuki, there are other kids out there that didn't receive the same kind of special training that you did. It's ok to defend yourself against another kid or civilian but just remember that there's significant difference strength between you."_

Tsuki sighed as she dodged a punch thrown by the boy that reached her first. Obviously she couldn't just beat them to a pulp so she had to settle for disabling them. She stepped to the side and tripped the boy as he ran by. He crashed into another boy and they both went tumbling to the ground.

Another boy, clad in glasses, wild threw punched at her and she calmly backpedalled away dodging every strike. Tsuki was expertly dodging all of his attacks but one managed to slip through her defenses when light glared off the boy's glasses and managed to blind her for a short second.

"Hah I got her!" he exclaimed excitedly.

He was quickly silenced by a fist slamming into the middle of his face, shattering his glasses. He whined in pain as he slumped to the ground holding his face. Tsuki took a deep breath to calm herself down. She'd almost lost control there. Unfortunately she left her guard down too long. She could do nothing as a pair or chubby arms wrapped around her in a bear hug.

"I got you now!" the heavy set boy said as he squeezed her. Tsuki squirmed around in his grasp and almost succeeded in breaking free until a fist slammed into her stomach. Tsuki grunted as all her air left her and she slouched into the boy's arms. She wearily looked ahead to see the leader of the group standing there with a smirk.

"Not so tough now are ya girly! Guess your brother didn't tell you how rough it was to play with bo-" he never finished as Tsuki slammed her foot between his legs. What followed next was a series of high-pitched wails and cries Tsuki had ever heard in her life. The boy lay on the ground whimpering as he held on to his 'jewels'. The chubby boy gulped and paled a bit. She took advantage of the commotion and stomped on his foot, causing him to let go.

She had used a rather dirty move just now but Karin had told her that when fending off boys, nothing was dirty. Naruto didn't totally agree with that statement but did iterate that she should do whatever was necessary and effective. Tsuki turned to finish off the heavy boy and threw a fist at his face while he was still dazed.

"Hey!" a woman called out suddenly.

Tsuki hesitated and looked around but saw no one. But the distraction proved fatal as she lost all focus. Tsuki never saw the punch that connected with her temple but she damn sure felt it as she fell to the ground. The last thing she remembered before everything went black was the sound of dirt shuffling shortly followed by a muffled voice and a flash of pink.

* * *

><p>Well that's it for this week. Getting ready for the Air Force and what not has thrown my schedule off something wacky and I can't really say when I'll update again but It'll be within the next two weeks. Well you guys know what to do. If anyone needs me I'll be off playing Storm Generations. Till next time<p>

Working hard/Hardly working and devoted author

-White Chidori


	16. Run in with the Leaf

**Hits: 41,406**

**Favs: 213**

**Alerts: 201**

****SURPRISE!

Bet you all didn't think I would update so quickly did you? Truth be told, I didn't think so either. Today just happened to be a slow and boring so i spent it typing away. I've actually had this done for like four hours now but I fell asleep and I just now woke up :P

Anyway this chapter is a little bit shorter than usuall but you'll get over it. I think you'll enjoy reading this one beccause I enjoyed typing it. And if you don't...Anywho, next Chapter will be the **last** in the filler for sure. But till then, here's...

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter XVI: Run in with the Leaf<strong>

Tsuki groaned as she felt herself returning to the world of the living. She felt groggy and her head was throbbing. She tried to think back to what happened right before she black out. She remember fighting off those boys and right before she hit the fat one, someone yelled and then everything went dark. 'I must've gotten hit with something and someone brought me back to the hotel,' Tsuki tiredly thought as she noted she was now indoors and lying in a bed.

'_I'll just sleep it off until Naruto comes back,'_ she told herself as she tried to fall back asleep. But then it suddenly dawned on her. _'Wait a minute…'_ Tsuki shot up and surveyed her surroundings more thoroughly. Based on what she saw in the room, it was definitely a hotel room, but not hers. Tsuki began to panic as she shuffled to get out of the bed.

She nearly fell over from the sudden rush of blood to her head but recovered fairly quickly. She looked at the clock to see it read 5:17 and nearly had a heart attack. _'Naruto is probably back now and he knows I'm gone! I have to get back!'_ Tsuki hurriedly scanned the room and found her sandals resting on the floor in front of the closet. She leapt across the room and began to strap them to her feet as fast as she could. She needed to get back pronto.

"I see you're feeling better," a voice said behind her. Tsuki stiffened. She didn't even here someone enter the room, let alone sneak up on her. She slowly turned around to face the mystery person.

It was a girl bright pink hair and large green eyes. She wore a red, sleeveless shirt and black shorts. A short pink apron-like skirt encircled her waist and she wore pink elbow protectors. She also noticed she had a red ribbon tied in her hair just like herself, only hers had a forehead protector fastened to it.

'_She's a ninja!'_ Tsuki thought. She was too short to see the symbol on her headband and couldn't say which village she was from.

"Um, where am I?" Tsuki asked the older girl. If she had to guess, she was no older than Karin.

"You're in my hotel room. Don't worry, My name is Sakura. I'm a medic and I brought you here so you could recover. You took a pretty nasty hit to the head," the girl explained.

"Oh I see…What happened?" Tsuki queried.

"Well you see…" Sakura began sheepishly. "I came across you and those group a boys fighting. I thought you might be in trouble so I yelled out but when I did I guess you must've gotten distracted and one of them hit you in the head. I chased them all off but you were unconscious. You were alone so I just brought you back here until you awoke," she explained.

'_So it was her fault!'_ Tsuki thought heatedly. _'If it wasn't for her, I would've never gotten distracted and I wouldn't be in this situation! But then again she did bring me to a safe place until I was feeling better…'_

"If you don't mind my asking," Sakura began, breaking Tsuki away from her thoughts. "What were you doing out roaming around the city by yourself? This town is no place for a little girl to be walking about. What would your parents think?"

"I don't have a mommy or daddy…" Tsuki replied with a downcast look.

"Oh…I'm sorry, I didn't know."

"It's ok," Tsuki said brightening up. "I have a big brother who watches out for me. He's teaching me how to be ninja and one day I want to be as strong as he is!" She exclaimed.

Sakura's eyebrow rose at the mention of a brother. "And where is this so called brother of yours?"

"I don't know really. He told me he had important business to take care of and that he'd be back this evening. I was supposed to stay at the hotel but I got bored and left anyway," Tsuki said sheepishly.

"Hmm I see..." Sakura said. She couldn't help but sense something familiar about this girl. _'She does kind of fit the description. Maybe…'_ "What's your brother like?" She noted how the girl's eyes lit up.

"Oh he's only the coolest! He's super-duper strong! He taught everything, well almost everything I know!"

"Really now?" Sakura asked with mock enthusiasm.

"Oh course! He can use a sword, all kinds of Wind jutsu, and he can even teleport! He also has a pet dragon!" Tsuki Said proudly.

"Is that so…" _'Bingo,'_

"Yeah, he and Sasuke-niichan always go back in forth with each other but they're the best of friends!"

"You know Sasuke too?" Sakura blurted out.

"Uh yeah…" Tsuki said with a raised eyebrow. _'She sure is asking a lot of questions…' _"Miss Sakura, who are you?"

Sakura was caught off guard and became flustered as she tried to come up with a response. "W-What are you talking about? I told you already, I'm a medic,"

"You sure are asking a lot of questions about my brother. And how do you know Sasuke-niichan?" Tsuki asked.

"W-Well you see, it's kind of complicated. We used to be-"

Just then, the door kicked in and an irate blonde stormed in. "Sakura, where are my goddamn-" Tsunade stopped upon seeing a bugged-eyed Sakura and a little blonde girl she didn't know.

"Sakura…who is this?" Tsunade asked turning to her apprentice.

Tsuki's eyes widened and she slapped herself in the forehead. _'Oh my gosh, I forgot to tell them my name!'_ Naruto had always taught her that when someone helps you out, it is common courtesy to at least introduce yourself.

"Excuse my manners," Tsuki said formally as she stood. "My name is Tsuki, Tsuki Uzumaki," She said with a bow.

Tsunade's eye widened. She turned to Sakura to see a small grin gracing the younger girl's features. She looked at Tsuki in disbelief then back to her student. "Sakura, we need to talk!"

* * *

><p>"You mean to tell me that that's really <em>her<em>?" Shizune asked peeking around the corner to catch a glimpse of the blonde girl sitting on the couch. Sakura and Tsunade had ushered her into the small kitchen where they were now whispering about said girl.

"She has to be! Her descriptions of her brother match our most recent reports of Naruto accurately. She even brought up Sasuke-kun!" Sakura exclaimed.

"Keep your voice down Sakura! If this really is her, then that must mean Naruto is somewhere within the city as we speak," Tsunade said.

Sakura was beaming. "That means we can finally bring him back to Konoha and he can help us find Sasuke-kun! Everything will be back to normal again!"

"I'm afraid it won't be that easy Sakura. Naruto is _adamant _about not coming back and I'm willing to bet that Sasuke is still after his brother,"

"But Tsunade-sama, we have Naruto-kun's sister here. Certainly we could use her as incentive to return to the village," Shizune offered.

Tsunade shook her head. "That won't work for two reasons. First, were talking about using a little girl as a hostage to get Naruto to come back to the village. He'll most likely not give into our demands and rescue her some way or another. And when that happens, it'll only strengthen his resolve to not return. That, or he could become enraged on the spot and level this whole city to get her back. And besides, I'm not going to kidnap a child just to get to him," she said disgusted

"You don't really think Naruto is _that_ strong do you?" Sakura asked.

"Sakura, we have confirmed reports from Kakashi himself on Naruto's abilities: the shadow clone jutsu, His swordsmanship, both of his father's techniques, Kakashi's own A-rank assassination technique, and this "dragon" creature. Now combine that with Naruto's stubborn and protective nature."

Sakura got the picture her master painted out for her. "Ok what do you suppose we do? If what you say is true then we can't keep her here much longer. It's almost sundown and Naruto will most likely come looking for her," Sakura asked.

Tsunade rubbed her temples as she tried to figure out something. "I don't know Sakura, I really don't know."

Tsuki sat on the couch quietly while she waited for the strange women to comeback. Something was telling her that she should leave now while they were gone and return to hotel before Naruto. But part of her was curious as to know how they knew about her brother and Sasuke. _'Who are these people?'_

Just then, she saw Sakura, the blonde lady from earlier, and a black-haired woman emerge from the kitchen. Sakura was shaking her head, but it was bent low enough for Tsuki to see the symbol on her headband.

"You're from Konoha!" Tsuki exclaimed. She had jumped to her feet and was pointing an accusatory finger at the group of women.

"Yes, we are," Sakura said confusedly.

"My brother said to _never _trust anyone from Konoha unless they were the Hokage," Tsuki said backing away slightly.

Tsunade saw the subtle movement and moved in to ease the small child. "Well, you're in luck. I happen to be the Hokage," Tsunade smiled brightly. She flinched at the hard look Tsuki shot her.

"No you're not! Big brother said that baa-chan was an old hag with a bad drinking problem who blows through money like a fat kid in a candy store. You're too young," the smaller blonde said.

Tsunade stood there staring at the girl with a slight twitch in her eye. She wasn't sure whether or not to be flattered or angered by her statement but she was furious with a certain other blonde. _'I'll kill him'_

"Don't listen to everything your brother says," Tsunade said crouching down to Tsuki's level. "My name is Tsunade and I'm the Fifth Hokage of the Village Hidden in the Leaves."

"If you were really the Hokage, why are you here? Brother said this place was full of nothing but liars, cheaters, and perverts," Tsuki queried.

Tsunade turned red in embarrassment. "W-Well you see before I became Hokage, I had accumulated quite a large debt and I'm here to pay it all off," the Hokage stammered.

Tsuki eyed her critically. She could sense some truth in the woman's words. But she wasn't convinced quite yet. "How do I know you're not lying?"

"You're brother's name is Naruto, blonde spiky hair, blue eyes, sixteen years old, his birthday is October 10th, and he has an unhealthy craving for ramen," Tsunade said simply, causing the girl's eye to grow wide.

"How do you know all that about my big brother?" Tsuki asked disbelievingly.

"That's because I knew your brother well. After all, he was one of my most promising ninja," Tsunade smiled.

"Big brother is from Konoha?" Tsuki asked surprised. He had never told her that before.

"Guess that mean's he hasn't told you about his past yet?" Tsunade asked earning negative head shake from Tsuki.

"Naruto-kun is indeed from Konoha. In fact, he'd still be there had things gone differently in the past…" Shizune cut in.

"What happened?" Tsuki asked, curious to know the tale of her brother's origins.

"Well, I'd say it all started back when we graduated from the academy…" Sakura began.

* * *

><p>And so Tsuki sat there and listened as the three women told her about her brother's time in Konoha. Tsuki wasn't all that surprised by younger Sasuke's attitude, but what she found her Naruto's younger self's demeanor to be unbelievable. She just couldn't picture him being loud, obnoxious, hyperactive, annoying or a prankster. They weren't certain whether or not if she knew of the Nine-Tails, so they left that part out. But they did tell her all about his life from the point which Team 7 was form up until that fateful day in the Valley of the End.<p>

"Was Sasuke-niichan really that bad?" Tsuki asked. She knew him to be cold at times, but she also had seen his kind (well kind_er_) side. But this sounded nothing like the niichan she knew.

"I wouldn't say bad exactly, just greatly troubled. His constant lust for power left him very manipulative and Orochimaru took advantage of that. His whisperings of sweet nothings was enough to drive Sasuke to that point. And Naruto, being the kind of boy he is, wasn't about to let that happen," Tsunade said.

"Naruto was always putting his friends ahead of himself, and he considered Sasuke to be his greatest friend. They were always going back in forth, trying to surpass one another. But then something change in Sasuke…he became more distant, and cold," Sakura began sullenly. "When he left, it broke my heart in so many ways. I loved Sasuke-kun so much and I was so selfish back then that I actually made Naruto promise me that he'd bring him back to me. I just can't help but think that if I hadn't made him make that promise…" she left the sentence go unfinished.

Tsuki noticed how they all fell silent as they talked about Naruto leaving the village. She could tell his untimely parting affected them greatly, but she couldn't help but feel differently about situation. "Well…I'm glad you did. I'm glad big brother left Konoha. If he hadn't, I'd be all alone right now…" Tsuki said meekly.

The three older women, on the verge of tears, turned to the smaller girl to see her sitting there with an indifferent look. "I know Naruto isn't my real brother. My family was killed and I was so scared until met him. He had hair just like mine and there was something familiar about him. I don't know what it was but from that day on I called him brother."

The older women listened intently to her story. "Naruto used to always say that we weren't related and tried to push me away, but I refused to believe it. No matter what he said or did, I stuck to him like glue. It was always like that and then one day…everything just changed. He started being nice to me and he didn't even get mad when I called him brother. He would play with me, protect me from harm, and even kept me out of trouble. I already hate not knowing what it's like to have a mom or dad. I don't think I could ever imagine life without big brother," Tsuki said as tears slowly slid down her cheeks.

Tsunade smiled at the girl and moved to her side and enveloped the smaller blonde in a hug. "That sound just like Naruto. Always trying to please people," she said.

Tsuki smiled at that. But there was one thing she was still confused about. "Um, Tsunade-baachan, did everyone in Konoha hate big brother because of the monster fox in him?" she asked.

Tsunade completely ignored the jab at her age and stared at the girl in surprise. "I guess Naruto told you about it, huh? That makes sense. To answer your question, yes. Naruto had a very troubling childhood due to the Nine-Tails within him. Minato had hoped that they would receive him as a hero for the burden he carried, but sadly, that wasn't the case."

"Who's Minato?" Tsuki asked looking up into her hazel eyes.

"Minato was Naruto's father. He sacrificed himself to seal the Nine-Tails within Naruto and save the village." Sakura answered.

"His papa put the monster in him? B-But why?" Tsuki exclaimed.

"Because Tsuki, there was no other way to stop the beast. If there was, that route would definitely have been taken. But sadly there wasn't. Naruto was the only possible vessel available at the time and Minato did what he had to as a father. How could he ask someone else to do what he wasn't willing to do himself?" Tsunade asked looking down into a pair green orbs.

"Well, I guess that makes sense…but it's still not fair!" Tsuki protested.

"Life's not fair Tsuki-chan, but we do the best with what we've got. We can't always get what we want but when life gives you lemons, you make lemonade," Shizune said.

"Not Naruto. He somehow finds a way to make orange juice," Sakura laughed lightly.

"That's Naruto for you," Tsunade smiled.

They all shared a laugh at the blonde boy's expense. Then suddenly, something came to Tsuki's mind. "Did Naruto ever have a girlfriend in Konoha?" she asked.

Tsunade bit back a laugh. She could possibly picture a girl putting up with Naruto's antics back then. "Not really, but Sakura here was the apple of his eye," Tsunade grinned.

"Tsunade-sama!" Sakura screamed. She her face was as pink as her bubblegum locks.

"Wait you're _that_ Sakura?" Tsuki pointed accusingly at the pinkette.

"What do you mean Tsuki-chan?" Shizune asked.

"Well, one time when my brother and I were in town, I saw a lot of girls looking at him weirdly and turning red so I asked him if he ever had a girlfriend. He said no but that he used to love this girl named Sakura. He said he did all he could for her to notice him but she only had eyes for someone else so he settled for just making her happy any way he could," Tsuki explained

"I thought he was being dramatic and sappy but I guess it's true. I asked if he ever liked any other girls but he every time he just says _'Love just isn't for me Tsuki-chan.'_ Sometimes, I really think he's gonna end up all alone. But I don't want that to happen. I want him to be happy too!" the small blonde said.

Tsunade and Shizune were saddened by this, but nodded in understanding. Naruto was always the type to sacrifice his happiness for the sake of others. Sakura on the other hand, was going through turmoil on the inside after what she'd just heard. _'Naruto…loved me? He was always so nice and sweet to me and I treated him like absolute garbage at times, yet he still loved me?'_ There were too many questions and emotions circulating through her mind that she couldn't take it. With tears in her eyes, she stood up and went to her room, quietly shutting the door behind her.

"Did I say something wrong?" Tsuki asked worriedly.

"No, you did nothing wrong Tsuki-chan," Tsunade sighed. "She's a teenage girl and needs to sort through her feelings. She just needs some time alone."

"Oh," Tsuki said quiet. It sounded complicated to her and she prayed she wasn't the same way when she was that age. She glanced out the window and turned white.

"Oh my god it's late! Big brother is gonna kill me!" Tsuki said jumping to her feet. She hadn't realized how much time she had spent hanging out with the Hokage and it was now dark outside.

Tsunade looked at the clock so see it was well past eight. "I think it's time for you to head home Tsuki-chan lest your brother levels this town looking for you," Tsunade laughed. Tsuki didn't find it amusing considering she believed he'd actually do it.

"It was nice meeting you Tsunade-baachan, Shizune, and Sakura too," Tsuki said with a bow. She turned to leave but the Hokage's voice stopped her.

"Wait before you go Tsuki-chan, can you give something to Naruto for me?" she asked.

"Of course!"

Tsunade smiled as she went into her room. She returned two minute later holding a scroll sealed with a golden ribbon and stamped with the Hokage's seal. "This is for him. Please make sure he gets it," Tsunade said handing to the smaller blonde.

"Yes mam!" Tsuki accepted with a wide grin. Tsunade couldn't help but see Naruto in her. Tsuki wrapped her arms around her Tsunade's middle, much to her confusion.

"Will I ever see you again baa-chan?" Tsuki asked looking up with hope filled eyes.

A warm feeling entered Tsunade's heart as her honey eyes met the gaze of the forest green ones below her. "Of course Tsuki-chan. But for now, you need to get back to your brother before we both get in trouble," she smiled as she returned the embrace.

"Ok," Tsuki chuckled. She released the Hokage waved goodbye one last time to Shizune. Shizune returned her gesture, and with that, Tsuki was out the door. She was high-tailing it back to the hotel when Ryousuke spoke for the first time in a long while.

"Tsuki…"

The poor girl flinched and nearly fell. She had forgotten all about the serpent. "Don't do that! I thought I was gonna get attacked,"

"Tsuki I think it would be best if you turned invisible until we reached the hotel," Ryousuke said indifferently.

"Huh? Why?" Tsuki asked confused.

"Because we are being followed," Ryousuke said. Whoever it was, they were doing a fine job of staying undetected, but unfortunately for them, they couldn't fool his sense of smell.

Tsuki asked no questions as she activated her camouflage. If she was being followed, that meant someone was after her or her brother. She stayed cloaked until she'd reached the hotel, praying that she made it there before Naruto.

* * *

><p>Tsunade was sitting quietly on the couch drinking a cup of sake. The events of today came as a great surprise to her and she needed the stress relief. Lucky for her, Shizune was being lenient today.<p>

Just then they heard a knock on the door. "I'll get it," Shizune said pushing herself to her feet and walking over to the door. The opened it to reveal an ANBU standing there at salute. "Permission to speak with the Hokage," He said.

"Yes, what is it?" Tsunade asked making her way over to the door.

"Hokage-sama, I followed the target just as you asked but…" he was unsure about how to go about this. "The target disappeared…"

"What do you mean disappeared?" Tsunade asked, involuntarily smashing the saucer in her hand.

The poor ANBU was stumbling over his words trying to explain. "I'm n-not sure. I was tracking her just as instructed but she just disappeared out of thin air," he said.

"As in one minute she's there, and the next she's not?" Shizune asked.

"Precisely."

"And she didn't leave behind a chakra signal or anything? People, not even shinobi, just disappear without leaving behind some kind of trace."

"No, none at all. Not even a chakra signature," the ANBU stated.

Tsunade was surprised. _'That's one extraordinary little girl. Maybe it's some sort of bloodline limit,'_ She mused. "Very well, you are dismissed," she said to the ANBU. He nodded and saluted quickly before flickering out of existence.

"Tsunade-sama, are you not worried?" Shizune asked after closing the door and following her master back into the living area.

"Naw, she's probably safe with Naruto by now," the buxom blonde replied after taking a swig straight from the sake bottle. To hell with a saucer.

"But what about Naruto? How will we find him now?" Shizune queried.

"Simple, we won't," Tsunade said taking another sip.

"But Tsunade-sama-"

"Look Shizune, we didn't come here prepared to try and capture Naruto. There's only you, me, Sakura, and the two ANBU keeping watch. And besides, chances are they'll be gone by morning. Naruto's smart enough not to stay in one spot too long, especially in Fire Country."

"But we should at least attempt to contact him!" Shizune protested.

Tsunade sat up and set the bottle down with a sigh. "Shizune, you know I want to find him more than anything, but now's just not the time. I'm content with at least knowing he's alive and well. And now we know he's not alone. The day will come for us to meet Naruto again. It could be weeks, months, hell even years from now, but it's not today. The time will come Shizune, trust me," she said with earnest.

Shizune mused over her master's words. Even if she was a bit drunk, she spoke the truth. "Alright, if you believe so Tsunade-sama,"

A grin fell upon the Hokage's lip. "Oh trust me Shizune, I _know_ so."

* * *

><p>Naruto tiredly stumbled into the lobby of the hotel. He was mentally worn out. The only thing on his mind was making sure that his sister was safe and sound. He hadn't planned on staying out till eleven but it was necessary. He was strapped for funds and need money to pay for an extra night at the hotel.<p>

So he and Daisuke set out to raise funds. Of course that consisted of gambling in a casino for the last _four_ hours. It didn't help that at some point during that time, Daisuke managed to get drunk and he was forced to baby sit him. Without a sponsor, he couldn't even enter the stadium tomorrow.

But they'd somehow managed to raise the 80,000 ryo he needed. He tried to pay it off now, but the receptionist saw how tired he was and told him he could just pay in the morning. So now he was dragging himself up the stairs to his room. He couldn't help but think of how his poor sister spent the day locked away in the room. Her attention span was like that of a goldfish sometimes and she wasn't very fond of being left alone for long periods of time.

Naruto let out a yawn as he pulled out his key and unlocked the door. He stepped into total darkness and shuffled around to find the lamp. Twenty seconds, a bruised shin, and one slip later, he managed to find the lamp resting on the nightstand and flicked it on.

The first thing her saw when the light came on was an unconscious Tsuki resting peacefully in his bed. Coiled up right next to her was Ryousuke, also sound asleep. He smiled knowing that she was safe and kicked off his sandals. He'd actually expected to hear some kind of complaint but amazingly there were none. So far.

As he set his key down on the nightstand, he noticed her dinner ticket there with each box checked off. _'Well at least she ate. I'll have to make it up to her sometime' _He mused. Naruto tiredly stripped down until he was left with nothing on but his blue undershirt and boxers. He was too tired to shower and decided to just take one in the morning.

He stretched and yawn before switching off the lamp and climbing into bed alongside his sister. Almost immediately, she somehow sensed his presence and was drawn to him like a magnet. "Night night Naruto," she mumbled in her sleep as she pressed her back up against his.

"Goodnight Tsuki," Naruto chuckled quietly. He then proceeded to go to sleep himself. He had a rather big day tomorrow and he would need all his strength. Not so much as physical strength, but more mental. He had this daunting suspicion that everything wasn't going to go accordingly to plan tomorrow. _'Eh, what's the worst that could happen?'_

* * *

><p>Well that's it for this week. I know for a fact that i'll get questions about Sakura, so before anyboy asks : I'm <strong>not <strong>saying anything. So if you still ask and I ignore you, can't say i did't warn you.

last thing before I go, If you leave a review, please don't ask a question unless I can respond. I try to do that for a lot of my reviews but some of them are from guest and I can't really answer back. I don't really like answering them in author notes. I mean if you're a guest, just make an account. It's not hard and it's **free**. Just saying.

Anyway that's it for now.

Working slightly harder/Still hardly working author

-White Chidori ^^


	17. Troublesome Tourney

**Hits: 59, 719**

**Favs: 279**

**Alerts: 271**

And here it is, the **LONG **awaited update for Divine. nothing much to say really except that I once again apologize greatly. There have been a lot of changes inn my life within the last four months and sadly it has torn me away from my writing. But alas I have returned (FOR REAL THIS TIME!) and I can continue to work on my Fics. Well, I don't want to keep you up any longer so here's...

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter XVII: Troublesome Tourney<strong>

The city was in chaos. Buildings were broken down beyond repair, merchants stalls were shattered to pieces and lifeless bodies were strewn all across the streets. People fled desperately to escape the overbearing force that was annihilating their town.

The massive monster loomed over its helpless victims and laughed at their feeble attempts to escape. None would survive. Very soon, they would all be devoured and be digested within its belly and it move on to the next town, mere miles away. Of course, for a being of its size it was more of a hop, a skip, and a jump.

The beast used its massive weapons, two massive spears, to level yet another building. It caught a glimpse of people fleeing into a rather large building, trying to escape its wrath. It laughed hardily as it knocked off the top of the building, revealing the many refugees inside. An evil grin spread across its face as the frightened towns people stared up in horror.

The monster showed no mercy as it stabbed its spears down into the masses of villagers, impaling many. It reveled in the taste of their flesh as it licked the pointed edges of its weapons clean. It did this many times until the building was completely void of life. The beast laughed once again as it marched out of the city to move onto the next. Even after attacking two other towns already, it's hunger wasn't sated. It licked its lips greedily as it step outside the wall of the now lifeless city. The people of Ramenopolis never stood a chance.

* * *

><p>"Tsuki, stop playing with your food."<p>

The tiny blonde's gaze snapped to her brother. She looked like a child caught with its hands in the cookie jar and had noodles hanging from her mouth. She slurped loudly as she sucked all the noodles into her mouth. "Sorry brother," she said sheepishly before returning to the bowl in front of her, though much more civil this time.

She and Naruto, along with some old guy named Daisuke were sitting in a booth in the small café she'd eaten at yesterday. She was very grateful that the waitress who served her wasn't there. The last thing she wanted was to be ratted out unintentionally in front of her brother. The three of them were enjoying a nice lunch before the tournament began.

Tsuki was excited at the idea of seeing her brother fighting. In her mind, no one remotely stood a chance against him. Well no one except for Orochimaru maybe. Naruto sat quietly as he ate and mused over the upcoming events. He planned to finish as soon as possible and leave the city. The less time they spent near civilization, the better.

Daisuke was staring in mere shock at the rate at which his blonde accomplices ate. The smaller of the two consumed just as much as her older brother. He was stirred away from his thoughts when he noticed the sudden rush of people pass by the café. "Hey Naruto we should probably get going now. People are starting to head towards the stadium and we don't want to be late. The blonde need nodded and slurped down the rest of his bowl, Tsuki finishing soon after him. Daisuke left enough money on the table to cover their meal as well as a sizeable tip. With that, the trio exited the small café and merged with the crowd of people who were stalking their way towards the town's center.

* * *

><p>The stadium was buzzing with activity. Outside, there was a long line of people hoping to get their hands on the scare tickets that remained. Inside was packed. People were crowding the booths to places bets and the concession stands to stock up on snacks before the main event. Down in the lower levels of the stadium, there was a large waiting room where the fighters were currently on standby. There were thirty-two men hyping themselves up for the upcoming battles. Among the men was Naruto who was in a far off corner propped up against a wall, arms folded across his chest.<p>

Instead of praying to the gods or whispering sweet nothings of victory to himself, he busied himself with studying his potential opponents. Needless to say, he wasn't impressed. There were a few who seemed to have a respectable amount of skill with a blade, while the rest of the, mostly young ninja, not much older than himself, looked to be complete novices. _'Wow this sure won't take long. The sooner I win, the sooner we can get the hell out of here,' _He thought to himself.

Just then, the sound of heavy footstep was heard coming down the stairs. When it reached the cold stony floor, the other grew deathly quiet and began to part like a sea, creating an opening for the large man. Naruto immediately recognized him as the man he confronted in the casino their first night in town. But he couldn't remember his name. Hidin…hidori…or something of that matter. Not that he actually cared in the first place.

We watched as the big man stalked towards the back of the room and on one of the many benches scattered about the room. His head was on a swivel, lazily scanning his surroundings. When his gaze fell on Naruto, a look of surprise appeared on his face for mere fraction of a second before it was replaced with a menacing grin. He brought his hand up by his head and slowly his hand across drug it across his neck. Naruto wasn't in the least bit intimidated and only snorted at his action.

"Ladies and Gentleman!" a voice on the television said.

All eyes fell upon the flat monitor as they watch the announcer prance about the arena. "It's that time of the year again folks. Blood, blades, and more blood! That's right, it's Tanzaku Town's Eighth Annual Blademaster's Tournament! Once again, men from all across the elemental nations have gathered here today to shed each other's blood for the sake of your profit and amusement!" he exclaimed. "Oh and for the 4 million ryo cash prize," he ended nonchalantly. The stands began to erupt with cheers, people excited for the bloodbath that was soon to begin.

"And that's not all," the announcer continued. "This year, we have a very special guest. Ladies and gentleman, the Hokage herself has graced us with her presence! Let's all give her a big round of applause!" he said gesturing to the highest balcony in the stadium. Sure enough, there stood the Fifth Hokage, smiling and waving down to everyone. The decibel count in the stadium rose exponentially as a new wave of cheering and shouts erupted from the stands. Down in the waiting room, the men were even more fired up at the chance of being able to show off and prove themselves in front of the Hokage herself. Hidenori only smirked. Naruto however was the only person not excited by the news. In fact, he was greatly troubled by it. _'You have to be fucking kidding me!'_

* * *

><p>"Tsunade-sama, why are we here?" She asked her master. Tsunade gave a few more waves for her adoring subjects before returning to her seat. "What, I can't enjoy the festivities?" Shizune gave her a blank look. "I would hardly consider this festive…" she said look out at the cheering crowd. Some of them look more like bloodthirsty savages to her.<p>

"Oh lighten up Shizune. You know I like a good fight. Besides, I already placed my bet. Now hush up the first match is about to start," Tsunade said as she snatched up her small bag of popcorn, eyes focused on the arena in anticipation. Shizune sighed tiredly at her master. _'I should've known there was money involved in this. Even after becoming Hokage, she still hadn't broken that bad habit of hers.'_

After learning of Tsunade's presence, Naruto was thrown into a state of disarray. He'd distance himself away from the others as soon as the first match began. Presently, he was trying to figure a way to get himself out of the situation. _'Fuck what should I do? If I go out there, the old hag will see me for sure but if I leave, I lose my all my money!' _Naruto mentally berated himself for putting himself in this position. He should've jus scraped together a couple thousand ryo and left yesterday, but Daisuke just had to come along talking about a four million ryo cash prize. Suddenly, his idea of robbing a casino didn't seem so immoral. Naruto sighed when he saw that his first match was about to commence shortly. He really didn't want to do was he was about to do but he needed the money. _'This is going to be a major dent in my pride…' _he thought as he formed the hand sign for a jutsu he hadn't used since his Genin days.

* * *

><p>"Is it almost time for big brother's fight yet?" Tsuki asked impatiently for the umpteenth time.<p>

"Yes, just as soon as this one is over," Daisuke sighed tiredly as the small girl seated next to him began to bounce with excitement in her seat. "Yes, Finally!"

"Tsuki-chan, calm down," said another man sitting to her right. She turned to him with a sheepish smile. "Sorry." She said to the man. He had short black hair and was dressed in a short-sleeved green shirt and tan pants. In reality, he was a shadow clone Naruto had made to keep watch over Tsuki and if need be, evacuate her to a safe location should anything go wrong. He was uneasy though. The announcement that Tsunade was there as well troubled him. He wasn't sure what to do and not wanting to blow their cover, he chose to remain put and see how the original acted.

* * *

><p>"And now, for our next match," the announcer began, catching everyone's attention. "Reigning from the Village Hidden in the Mist, we have Itsuki!" he announced. Shortly after, a young haired young man emerged from the western tunnel and stepped into the arena. He was dressed in the typical garb of a kiri-nin and had a katana strapped across his back. He strode to the center of the arena and waved to the crowd, occasionally blowing a few kisses. "And his opponent, hailing from-" the announcer was cutoff when a young man wearing a headset came running out of the east tunnel carrying a slip of paper. He ran up to the announcer and gave him the paper and whispered a few words to him, much to everyone's confusion. The young man ran back to the tunnel he came out of and the announcer turned back to the crowd with a face of uncertainty.<p>

"It seems one of the contestants has fallen ill and someone else is taking his place. From the Land of Hot Water, we have…Karin?" He said, a look of confusion spread across his face as he read the paper. Everyone's gaze turned to the eastern tunnel to see a young woman step into the arena. She had long golden hair that was put up into a ponytail and soft blue eyes. She wore a long-sleeved, form-fitting white shirt that revealed a fair amount of her cleavage. She wore white pants that stopped just short of her calves and a pair of white high-heeled sandals. A blue sarong that came down to her knees encircled her waist along with a white rope that tied into a bow behind her back. A blue sword sat on her hip, held in place by the rope.

"Hi everyone!" she said jovially with a bright smile on her face. Whispers and murmuring began to snake throughout the crowded stands and they surveyed the young woman.

"What the hell is this?! Where is Naruto?" Daisuke asked turning to his two companions. Tsuki was on the verge of laughter while Naruto's shadow clone pinched the bridge of his nose in a mix of frustration and embarrassment.

"That _is _Naruto. He's doing that to hide his identity from the Hokage. They're not exactly on the greatest of terms right now. But of all the things to do, why _that_?" His clone explained. Daisuke was about to question him further but felt it best not to pry into Naruto's personal life. Just as long as they still got paid, he didn't care. But it still was a strange sight…

Naruto was despite his cheerful mask, was pissed. He hated having to resort to the sexy jutsu. But with that damn chakra-suppressing talisman, and a rather powerful one at that, they were required to wear, it was the only transformation he could pull off. He could pull it off using the minutest amount of chakra, but without access to the rest of his chakra, he couldn't do much to alter his physical appearance. Luckily, he was able to hide his whisker marks, his most distinguishing feature. Those would give him away instantly. He had resorted to using his cousin's name as it was the first to pop into his head.

"She" happily skipped to the center of the arena and came to a halt in front of announcer. "Well, let's get started should we?" she said with a smile. The announcer stared at her blankly before snapping back to reality. "Of course. Let the third match between Karin and Itsuki begin!" he said stepping away from the fighters.

Itsuki stared at Naruto with an belittling gaze. "Look, this here is no place for a pretty girl like yourself, so why don't you go run along somewhere before you get hurt," he said as he shook his hand in a shooing motion towards Naruto. The blonde before him let out an unlady-like snort. "I should say the same for you. I don't want to hurt a frail boy such as yourself," she retorted. Itsuki's eyebrow twitched in annoyance. "Fine," he said, drawing his sword. "Don't say I didn't warn you!" he stepped forward, attempting to bring the sword down on the girl's head. Naruto easily saw the attack coming and sidestepped, causing the boy to stumble by. "Oh wow that was sloppy. Are you sure you know how to use that?" she asked sweetly.

Itsuki growled and rushed Naruto, lashing out wildly with his sword. The blonde gracefully dodged each of his strikes, further adding to the kiri-nin's frustration. Itsuki lunged at Naruto's stomach and was evaded once more, only this time he was sent to the ground, courtesy of the blonde "girl". "You need more training. I can see right through your attacks," she smiled down at him. Itsuki growled and lunged again. His attack missed and was once again rewarded with a smack to the face.

"Damn it stop running and fight me already!" Itsuki barked.

A smirk appeared on the girl's face and it made him feel uneasy. "Alright, if you insist." In a show of great speed, she ran at him and delivered a forceful punch to his abdomen. Itsuki's eyes bulged as the blow struck and all the oxygen in his lungs was forcefully expelled. But she wasn't done yet. She brought her leg around and slammed a powerful roundhouse into the side of his skull, driving him head first into the dirt.

Everything went quiet as Itsuki's body hit the gravel, remaining motionless. The announcer's mouth hung open in disbelief, gaping at the blonde woman.

"Yeah! Show 'em who's boss Sis!" a small voice called out. Naruto sweat dropped when he heard his sister. _'I'll kill her.'_ Suddenly the crowd burst into cheers once more and Naruto waved to them jovially.

"I don't believe it folks! Not only do we have the first woman to ever enter the tourney but she was victorious as well! Karin, the female fatale. She's definitely won to keep an eye on this year," the announcer said as Naruto made his way back to the tunnel.

* * *

><p>Tsunade watched the match in mild surprise. Whoever this girl was, she certainly was skilled. When she heard the small voice yell out, she recognized it and scanned the crowd below. Sure enough, she found a small blonde girl sitting amongst the crowd with a big grin plastered on her face.<em> 'Tsuki-chan?! What is she doing here? And since when did she have a sis- no don't tell me…'<em> Tsunade thought in sudden realization. Her gaze shifted to "Karin" and her eyes widened. _'It's Naruto!' _ she thought bursting into a fit of giggles.

'_No doubt he's trying to hide his identity and it might've worked at it not been for Tsuki-chan. I suppose I should go down and confront him.' _She thought as she rose out of her seat and turned to leave, catching her two apprentices attention. "Is something wrong Tsunade-sama?" Sakura queried.

Just as Tsunade was about to answer, something occurred to her. _'Wait…Naruto is in a whole other league compared to these guys. He could easily win…' _A devilish grin appeared on the Hokage's face, making her students uneasy. "No, nothing at all! I just need to change my bet!" she said as she sped out the door. Sakura sighed at her master's antics. No matter how bad her luck was or how many times she lost, she would never learn.

* * *

><p>The pace really began to pick up after Naruto's first match. Blood was spilt and the crowd's bloodlust was sated as the tournament advanced. Naruto had easily disposed of his second and third opponents, not even having to draw his sword. Karin became a favorite amongst the spectators, much to his aversion. He inadvertently gained popularity which made him more susceptible to being found out.<p>

'_Just need to finish up these last two quickly and we can get the hell out of here.' _He thought as he stepped into the arena once more. "There she is! The beautiful yet deadly rose Karin!" the announcer exclaimed. The crowd erupted with applause and began to chant her name. _'God this is so troublesome…' _Naruto thought as he smiled brightly and waved to his adoring fans.

"And her opponent, hailing from the Land of Iron, home of the Samurai, Shinzo!" An elderly man, not much older than the late Sandaime, walked out of the western tunnel. He wore a dark grey yukata with a black obi encircking his waist. He was hunched over slightly and was supporting himself with a sleek walking stick. He walked to the center of the arena and took his place across from Naruto.

"Hi there Old timer! Let's have a good match 'kay?" Karin smiled at him. Shinzo only glanced at her with an unimpressed expression. "Sorry little girl, but this is where your journey ends," he said. She smirked back at him. "We'll see about that geezer."

"Oh ho ho things between our fighter are beginning to heat up! Without further ado, let the first match of the fourth round begin!" the announcer yelled hoping back to safety.

Shinzo wasted no time and came at Karin with speed that was beyond his elderly body, catching the blonde by surprise. Shinzo was nearly a blur as he appeared in front of her and lashed out with the blade hidden in his cane. Luckily, she'd seen wary of it from watching his previous matches and dodged it, albeit just barely. Shinzo continued to lash out at Karin, giving her no chance to counter. All she could do was evade his quick strikes. Unlike Itsuki, he was swift and coordinated, making it much more difficult.

Seeing a momentary break in his offense, she acted. She spun under a slash aimed at her throat and swung her foot at his abdomen. But Shinzo saw it coming as grasped onto her ankle, holding her in place. Karin tried to pull her leg free but his grip remained strong and firm. "You're acrobatics won't work against me!" he exclaimed as he brought his sword down on her chest.

Thinking quickly, Karin flipped her body backwards and slammed her other foot into his chin, causing him to let go of her ankle. She somersaulted away as he stumbled back and rubbed his sore jaw. The crowd was captivated by their display of speed and agility. Karin came to a stop a few feet away and smirked at the old man. "Guess I'll try a different approach then." She grasped the handle of her own sword and drew it from its scabbard. A series of audible gasps and murmurs began to circulate amongst the crowd. "What's this?! For the first time today, Karin has actually drawn her sword! I have a feeling things are about to get intense people!" the announcer proclaimed.

Shinzo however was unimpressed. He only glared at the girl and took a neutral stance. Karin rushed forward in a burst of speed and clashed with the old samurai. The crowd watched in awe as the two danced across the arena, continuously exchanging blows. Karin was working her swift kenjutsu style, which relied on speed and precision while Shinzo switched tactics to a style more suited for defensive counters and power strikes.

Karin continued to wear down her opponents defenses and nearly landed a hit when Shinzo suddenly parried her. She was caught by surprise and momentarily left unguarded. Shinzo took full advantage of the opening and delivered a vicious slash that caught her in the arm. The collective gasped was heard throughout the arena as her blood splashed onto the ground. Karin grounded her teeth in pain and hopped away from the smirking Shinzo.

He watched as blood flowed from the gash on her left arm and pooled onto the dirt below. "As I've said before, your time here is about to come to an end. Now, prepare to face defeat." He said as he returned to his defensive stance. Naruto was highly annoyed now. _'That's it, I'm through holding back.' _

Karin rushed forward once again, blade poised to strike. "Hmph, it seems we'll have to do this the hard way," Shinzo mused as he brought his sword up to deflect the incoming blow. A thunderous clang echoed throughout the area as their swords met. But was surprised everyone was how Karin's sword cut through Shinzo's like a hot knife through butter. "W-What?!" the elderly man exclaimed.

"You were right about one thing. We are going to have to do this the hard way," Karin said as she reared her fist back and slammed it into the old man's face. There was a sickening crack as Shino's nose was shattered and he was catapulted across the arena and slammed into the wall. His body lay on the ground, limp and unmoving.

Applause and shouts of joy immediately arose from the crowd as they watched their favorite gladiator seize victory. "I don't believe it folks! Karin does it again! The beautiful rose moves onto the final round!" the announcer exclaimed.

Naruto grunted as he walked out of the arena and back towards the waiting room. _'He has one more time to call me pretty…'_

* * *

><p>Naruto, still in disguise, was sitting quietly in the waiting room. The gash on his arm had healed but he'd wrapped his arm in gauze to give the effect he was still hurt. That also meant that he couldn't use his left arm in the next match. <em>'No matter, I won't need it. I'll finish this in no time,' <em>he thought as he watched the monitor showing the current match. It was between Hidenori and some helpless sand-nin. He acknowledged that the big man had quite some skill and strength to be wielding such a large sword with ease. He continued to watch as the big man smashed through the sand shinobi's kodachi and mercilessly decapitate him. The crowd went wild as he lifted the man head and held it in the air as if it were some trophy. _'Disgusting, he has no respect at all,' _Naruto growled.

"You seemed troubled by something young one," came a withered voice. Naruto turned to see an elderly man standing there with a tray with a lone glass. "Here, have some tea. It does wonders for the soul," he said smiling at him. _'Well I am kind of thirsty…'_

"Sure, thanks!" Naruto replied putting his cheery façade back on as he took the glass from the tray. He down the glass in a single gulp and noted the strange taste. _'It's a little bitter,' _He set the glass back on the tray and turned to the old man. "Thanks a lot, that was delicious!" he smiled. "Think nothing of it. I'll take my leave now. Don't want to disrupt your focus before the big match," Naruto watched him turn and leave in the direction from whence he came, never noticing the malevolent grin that crossed his features.

* * *

><p>"Ladies and gentleman, it time for what you've all been waiting for! Now for the main event: The final match of the Eight Annual Blademaster's Tournament! I must say this year's tourney has brought much gore and surprise but alas all good things must come to an end." The announcer exclaimed into the microphone. "Well, let's not dilly dally any longer! Bring out the fighters! The rusty gates on the eastern and western wall groaned as they rose.<p>

"Reigning champ five years running and local favorite, Hidenori!" The big man stepped into the arena smirking. He flexed his arms as he walked, showing off his large muscle and sent the crowd into a frenzy of shout and cheers.

"And the challenger, the beautiful rose of the Land of Hot Water, Karin!" a blonde woman emerged from the eastern tunnel. The crowd was sent into an uproar as she entered. _'I'll kill that man,' _Naruto thought as he smiled and waved, approaching the announcer and his opponent. Karin came to a stop in front of the large man that towered over her. She found that stupid smirk he wore rather annoying.

"I imagine you must be feeling hurt after that last bout of yours," Hidenori said.

"Oh you mean this?" Karin said gesturing to her arm. "It's just a flesh wound. It won't hinder my defeating you at all," she smiled. Hidenori's expression soon went from an amused one to one of annoyance. "We'll see how much that pretty little face of yours will be smiling after I'm through with you."

"Well folks it's seems our fighters are mere seconds away from tearing each other apart so let's not keep them waiting! Let the final match begin!" As soon as the announcer was out of the way, Karin was in front Hidenori, blade in hand. She swung at his neck but the man dodged in an impressive show of speed. He was quick to draw his sword and deflect her next strike. "Is that all you've got? I'm not very impressed."

Karin only glared at him. His massive zweihänder-type sword was made from some rather strong steel. She wouldn't be able to cut through this one with brute force. She twirled her sword into a reverse and dashed at Hidenori again. The large man easily blocked her assault with his sword. He parried one of her strikes and threw his fist at her skull. Karin ducked and kicked off of his sword to put some distance between them.

_That damn sword of his is troublesome,' _Naruto thought as he watched his opponent, waiting for him to make his move. He didn't have any experience fighting against a sword of this size and getting around its defense proved to be highly irksome. _'If only I could use chakra…a Rasengan would make short work of that sword.'_

"Given up have we now? Guess that means it's my turn!" Hidenori said before sprinting at his opponent. He brought his giant sword down on the blonde girl, hoping to split her in two. Karin deflected his sword and watched it slide off her own blade before delivering a powerful kick to his jaw. Hidenori stumbled back and rubbed his chin. "Lucky shot. I guarantee it won't happen again," he came at her again, this time with a horizontal strike. Karin spun under his sword and leapt up to deliver three successive roundhouses to his face. Her last kick sent him face first into the ground and the crowd went crazy. She smirk as she watch her opponent struggle to his feet. _'His sword gives him a good defense but he's got no kind of offense. His moves are too easy to read,' _Naruto thought, wondering exactly how the man before him managed to go undefeated for five years. By now Hidenori was standing on shaky legs. _'What the hell is going on? It should've kicked in by now?' _he thought as he watched the girl take a defensive stance once more. _'Looks like I'll have to use Plan B.' _

"Enough of these charades! Why don't you show us who you really are?" Hidenori called out. The crowd grew silent as they began to whisper amongst themselves, wondering as to the nature of his statement. Karin gave him a confused look. "I don't understand the question…"

"Oh you don't?" Hidenori snapped his fingers. Karin's eyes went wide for a short moment and a short moment later, a man leapt out from the stands. He ran up to Hidenori who snatched up the small child he was holding, making the blonde girl go pale. It was Tsuki. "Let go of me you big dummy!" Tsuki screamed as she flailed about wildly in his arms. Hidenori's grip remained firm as he smirked at the older blonde. "How about now?"

Karin stood up straight and leveled a glared at the dark-haired man. Just before the man appeared, the memories of Naruto's shadow clone came rushing back to him. _'A sneak attack…He had this planned.' _ "Put her down," Karin said coldly. "Here's a better idea: you drop the disguise and show us all who you really are. Or…" He threw Tsuki on to the ground and place a foot on her back to keep her pinned down. He raised his sword to hover mere inches above her small head. "I'll splatter her brains all over the ground!" At this the crowd was clamoring with anger and confusion. Their "beloved" champion had resorted to such dishonorable tactics.

'_Shit…I have no choice,' _Naruto thought. He wouldn't dream of putting Tsuki's life in danger. Karin formed a single hand sign and was engulfed in a cloud of smoke. The smokescreen cleared after a few second to reveal Naruto, who sent an intense glare at the large man who held his sister captive. Hidenori only smirked. "Just as I thought, Naruto Namikaze, Jinchūriki of the Nine-Tails and bastard son of the late Fourth Hokage."

* * *

><p>Tsunade smashed the table in front of her the moment she saw the man appear with Tsuki. Her rage only grew further as she watched Hidenori slam her on the ground and hold his blade to her neck. '<em>That bastard!' <em>She thought as she gritted her teeth. "Tsuki-chan!" Sakura exclaimed. "What's she still doing here?!" Shizune yelled. The Hokage's apprentices watched in bewilderment as Karin was covered in smoke and transformed into Naruto. "I-It's Naruto!" Sakura exclaimed.

"Tsunade-sama, we have to do something!" Shizune pleaded.

"No, it's too dangerous," the Hokage replied.

"But he has Tsuki-chan!"

"I know. That's why that arena is the most dangerous place to be right now," Tsunade said as she watched the animosity roll off of Naruto in waves. _'This isn't going to end pretty…'_

* * *

><p>"You know, I had my doubts at first, but the resemblance between you and your father is uncanny. It took a bit a research on my part, but I knew from the first time I saw you, you seemed rather familiar. Though you look nothing like the picture on the wanted poster, the fact that you resemble the Fourth and those stupid whiskers gave me all the evidence I needed. And it paid off well," Hidenori smirked.<p>

The audience was buzzing at the revelations of Naruto's identity. Whispers snaked throughout the crowd as all eyes fell upon the desperate situation in the arena below. Naruto was pissed. Not only did this man put his filthy hands on his little sister _and _threaten her life, he'd also revealed his identity, which wouldn't have been so bad had the Hokage herself not been less than a hundred feet away. He was_ definitely_ going to die."Big brother…help me!" Tsuki cried out as she squirmed under Hidenori's large foot, completely helpless. It broke Naruto's heart to see the tears rolling down her face.

"Yes big brother help her," Hidenori mocked as he laughed. "I don't know why that poison isn't working but none the less, you will still lose."

Naruto's eyebrow rose. "Poison?"

"Yeah it slows down one's senses considerably and also disrupts their chakra. Top notch stuff from Orochimaru himself. I'm confused as to why you're the only one not affected by it," Hidenori explained.

Naruto was confused about something. _'When the hell did I get poisoned?' _then it hit him. _'The tea from the old man!' _That had to be the only explanation. It couldn't have been from Shinzo's sword because he knew samurai were too proud to resort to a tactic such as poisoning their weapons and that tea was the only thing he'd consumed since lunch. Unfortunately for him, it was null and void. He knew of the poison he'd spoken of. Orochimaru had developed a multitude of different poisons and toxins that were now circulating throughout the ninja world and he was immune to every last one of them. Orochimaru had given them to him and Sasuke as part of their training over the years. It wouldn't do well for his future weapon and ultimate weapon to fall prey to something of his own making. That also explained how the man emerged victorious from every fight.

"What the hell do you want?" Naruto asked. There must've been a reason he had gone to such extreme measures to defeat him. "Money," was the man's simple answer. "Money?" Naruto growled.

"Yes boy, money. In case you didn't know, there's a hefty bounty out for your capture. With that kind of money, I could disappear and retire for good. "Killing off Ninja in these yearly tournaments can only be such fun," He shrugged, failing to notice the aura of hatred that surrounded his blonde opponent. Naruto reached slowly reached into his pocket and pulled out a kunai. Hidenori saw this and dug his foot deeper into Tsuki's back, eliciting a pained cry from her. "Now, now, I wouldn't do that if I were you. My hand just may slip," Hidenori said as he brought the cold steel of his sword down to rest on the back of her neck.

Naruto gritted his teeth as he heard his sister cry and let the kunai slip from his hand and fall to the ground. "Now this is what's going to happen. You're going to-" His words caught in his throat. A gasped escaped the crowd. The stared at the now empty handed Hidenori. The big man saw Naruto standing before him, his sword drawn and his sister hiding behind him, crying into his coat. He was about to speak until the arm which he held his sword fell to the ground. Hidenori watched in horror as his forearm slumped to the dirt, resting in a pool of blood that dripped from the bloody stump that was his right arm. He let out a scream as the pain finally caught up to him.

The audience only stared in utter amazement and confusion. There was only a bright flash and next thing they knew Naruto had rescued the little girl and Hidenori's arm was amputated. Naruto turned to his sister, who was clutching onto him for dear life. "Tsuki-chan I need you to let me go for a moment," He said softly. Her grip only tightened. "No! Don't leave big brother!" she exclaimed as she dug her face deeper into his coat.

"I'm not going anywhere Tsuki-chan. I just have to do something really quick. Just close your eyes, count to ten, and when you open them I'll be right here again," Naruto told her. She finally looked up at him, meeting his soft blue orbs with her teary green ones. "P-Promise?" Naruto smiled and held his smallest finger out to her. "Pinky."

"Ok," She said as she wrapped her own little finger around his and began to count to herself. "One…two…three…"

"What the hell did you do to me?!" Hidenori roared. His question went unanswered as a pair of fiery red eyes suddenly appeared before him, boring down into his own brown. He felt something tear through his torso before words could escape him. There was enough time for surprise to appear on his face before he felt something slice through him again. The audience watched in horror as the defenseless Hidenori fell victim to Naruto's ruthless onslaught. The blonde continuously slashed at the large man at fleeting speed that was impossible to follow without the kekkei genkai of the late Uchiha clan. Naruto finished his assault with an upward strike through Hidenori's middle. A wind-empowered Rasengan surged to life in his hand and he slammed it into Hidenori's chest, causing the man to explode in a bloody mist. He glared at the spot where the large man had once been before walking back towards his sister.

"…eight…nine…ten." Tsuki opened her eyes to see Naruto walking toward her. There where small splotches of blood on his clothes yet she saw that he wasn't hurt. The big man that was holding her was also gone and she suspected that the Rasengan surging to life she heard earlier had something to do with it. She ran to meet Naruto, wrapping her arms around his middle. "Naruto, can we go now? I don't like it here anymore…" she pleaded. "Yeah, I was thinking the same thing," he said as he softly stroked her hair.

"Naruto…"

Said blonde looked up to see Tsunade and her two apprentices standing before him. He glanced around to see he the entire arena was circumscribed with ANBU. He shot a glare towards the Hokage and tightened his grip on his sword. He really was in the mood for this. "What?" he said icily.

Tsunade nearly flinched at his tone. She didn't blame him for being angry. And she was right: it did not end pretty. _'Serves that bastard right,' _she thought glancing to the spot where Hidenori once stood. "Look Naruto, I know you're pissed at what happened with Tsuki-chan but I've come on peaceful terms," Tsunade said. Naruto look only intensified as he wondered exactly how she knew his sister's name. "I don't have time for this," He said as he reached down to pick up the kunai he dropped earlier. Tsunade's eye's widened when she saw the unique kunai as she realized what he was about to do. "Naruto wait!"

It was too late. There was a small flash of light where Naruto had once been and when it dispersed, he and Tsuki where gone. Tsunade only sighed as she watched the two blondes disappear. _'So much for that plan…' _she thought.

* * *

><p>Deep in the forest miles away from Tanzaku Town, Naruto and Tsuki flashed into existence. A dizzy Tsuki slumped to the ground while Naruto walked up to a tree and removed the three-pronged kunai lodged in its trunk. He reached around the tree and picked up his backpack and slung it on his shoulders. He heard a rustle in the bushes and drew his sword on the intruder.<p>

"Someone's jittery much," His shadow clone said as it raised its hands defensively. Naruto only glared at the clone before sheathing his sword. "So I'm guessing all didn't go as planned?" the clone asked. "No, it didn't. Did you get it?"

"Yeah it's right here," the clone said before reaching into the bushes and pulling out a large chest. "Four million in total. I also swiped another one million roughly from the betting booths. It's all in the chest." It said before dispelling. Naruto nodded before taking out a scroll and sealing the chest inside. He had an uneasy feeling that things wouldn't go their way today so as a backup, he had a clone sneak in and steal the prize money. No matter what happened, he _was_ getting that money.

"Aw I didn't get so say goodbye to baa-chan…" he heard Tsuki sigh from behind him. He turned to see her standing there with a forlorn expression.

"Baa-chan huh?" Naruto asked as he began walking towards her. Tsuki tensed up when she heard him speak. She tried to run but never got the chance as she felt herself lifted off of her feet. She soon found herself staring into the eyes of her older brother and she could tell he was far from happy. "Start talking," he said. Tsuki could only manage a nervous laugh as poked her index fingers together. She felt herself shrinking under her brother's gaze. _'I'm so in trouble now…'_

* * *

><p>That you are Tsuki-chan, that you are.<p>

Well that's the end of that. Now I can finally dive into the main storyline! I can promise you this, I won't be doing any more fillers that's for sure! If it isn't related to the main storyline, I won't write it. Anyway R+R and let me know what you think. And again, I'm sorry for the wait and I appreciate anyone that stuck around to read.

On a side note, I have good news, and bad news. The good news is that I'll most likely be uploading multiple chapters next update. The bad news: I'm not exactly sure when. See, i'm graduating Tech School thursday and then I'm leaving Mississippi and it's off to Guam for me. (Highly excited for that!) So I have a bit a traveling and in processing I have to do within the next upcoming weeks. I'll be typing up the next few chapters during this time, I'm just not sure when I'll have internet again to upload them so I'm going to wait till I set up my internet in my dorm and upload everything I have at the moment. Wish me luck and till next time!

-White Chidori


	18. Sasuke Chronicles I

**Hits: 62,113**

**Favs: 286**

**Alerts: 279**

****Well for starters, I made it to Guam safe and sound. I'm really loving it here so far. The only problems I've found so far is that the sun is disrespectfully hot and I got serious jet lag. And I was able to get a hold of internet a lot earlier than I expected. Turns out there's a community center with free wifi so I'm just going to come here to upload until I get my own Internet set up. Nothing else to say really (that i can think of...) so on with the story.

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter XVIII: Sasuke Chronicles I: Revenge<strong>

After ten long days of travel, Sasuke found himself wandering through the forests of southern Fire Country. He along with his newly formed team, Hebi, had been investigating around the Land of Fire for any leads on his brother or his organization. Having recruited the lax Suigetsu and the rage-driven Jugo only a few days ago, his team seemed rather dysfunctional but they were all strong and they each had something he found useful.

Karin was highly intelligent and a skilled sensory-type ninja. When using her Mind's Eye of the Kagura technique, her chakra sensing capabilities far exceed those of any Hyūga. Then there was Suigetsu. He had the uncanny ability to liquefy his body instantaneously and once he got a hold of the late Zabuza's Executioner's Blade, he proved to be quite adept in kenjutsu. Then there was Jugo. It was from his flesh that Orochimaru had developed the Curse Mark. Untold power lay dormant in his vein and It was brought out every time he went on a bloodthirsty rampage, which was quite often.

Sasuke continued to scan the landscape. He was perched high up in a tree to get a better view of his surroundings. He'd been searching all day for any sign or clue that could point him in the direction that would lead to his brother, but he'd yet to find any leads. _'I'm finally ready to take down Itachi but I can't seem to find him,' _He sighed. Sasuke leapt from the tree and landed gracefully on the ground below. _'Guess I'll just have to see what I can find in the next town.'_

"Neh Sasuke, How long are we supposed to keep this up? It's been three days and we still haven't found anything," Suigetsu's lazy voice sounded through the transceiver.

"Suigetsu shut up! You complain every five minutes!" Karin's voice roared over the radio.

"Troublesome woman, must you always yell?"

Sasuke was thoroughly annoyed. Ever since the two had caught sight of each other last week they'd done nothing but bicker and argue. They were always at each other's throats about something or another and it was starting to give him a headache. "Karin…Suigetsu…" he said into the transceiver.

"Huh?" Suigetsu replied lazily.

"Yes Sasuke-kun?" Karin said in an overly sweet voice.

"Shut up," Sasuke said in a clearly annoyed tone. "We'll call it for the day. Meet back up at the campsite." After hearing an affirmative from each of his team members, Sasuke cut off his radio. He turned to jump away when something caught his eye. "Who goes there?" He said staring in the direction he'd seen the sudden glimpse of light. The forest around him remained silent until he heard someone chuckling lightly.

"My, my aren't we perceptive? As to be expected from an _Uchiha_," he heard a voice say, not missing the malice in its tone. The owner of the voice slowly phased into existence before Sasuke. He was young, not much older than Sasuke himself. Short, spiky jet black hair sat atop his head and it hung ominously over his face, nearly shielding his teal eyes from view. He wore what Sasuke recognized as the standard shinobi uniform for Iwa-nin, only it was black and he wore a grey flak jacket. He couldn't see a forehead protector anywhere on the boy's uniform so he couldn't discern from which village he was from. "What do you want?"

The boy gave Sasuke an amused look. "Straight to point huh? You Uchiha sure are punctual," he said as he pulled out a sword handle from his pouch. "But if you are in such a rush to die I'd be happy to end your life sooner."

Sasuke's eyes narrowed at the boy before him, resting his hand on the hilt of his sword. He didn't know who he was but if he was going to make an attempt on his life then he would strike him down without remorse. He had far more pressing matters to attend to than some glory seeking fool. "I don't have time for this," Sasuke said turning to leave. He was about to jump away when he heard something whizzing towards him. He turned and drew his sword to block three kunai made of _'Glass?' _Sasuke thought as he watched the three translucent knives fall to the ground. He looked back at the boy to see an intense glare set upon his features. "Don't turn your back on me!" he roared.

Sasuke pointed his sword at the boy. "I don't know what you want but if turn away now I won't kill you," he said. He was trying to be rational with the boy, a lesson he learned from Naruto. Apparently one should offer their opponent a chance to flee before utterly decimating them. The expression on the boy's face changed and a devious smirk formed. "I want your blood!" he said sprinting straight at Sasuke, who remained motionless as his foe closed in. Whoever the boy was, he was obviously in over his head. At least he would make a decent target to touch up on some skills.

The boy was upon Sasuke in seconds and swung the sword handle towards the Uchiha's neck. Sasuke swung his sword at the boy's arm, hoping to disable him. But instead of flesh, his blade was met by an invisible force as a loud clang echoed throughout the tree. Sasuke raised an eyebrow, confused as to what stopped his attack. That was when he noticed the length of glass extended from the boy's sword handle, grinding against his sword. _'It's a blade made of glass. The way the light was hitting it must've made it appear invisible. Interesting…' _The raven-haired boy thought as he pushed off the boy's sword and reset his stance a few feet away.

Sasuke closed his eyes and reopened them to reveal the Sharingan spinning to life. He was now wary of the boy's translucent blade and didn't want to take any chances. The boy only seemed to scowl more as he watched the Uchiha's bloodline activate. "You think those bastard eyes of yours make you superior?! I'll show you!" the boy roared as he quickly shifted through a few hand signs and inhaled deeply. Sasuke's eyes widened as he recognized the series of hand signs. He knew them all too well. _**"Fire Style: Fireball Jutsu!"**_

The boy exhaled a massive fireball that sped towards Sasuke at an amazing velocity. Sasuke barely had time to dodge as he leapt to the side, the ball of fire leaving a few minor burns on his shirt. _'How the hell does he know an Uchiha technique and how is he able to replicate it this well?' _Sasuke thought as he narrowed his eyes at his opponent. All of his family jutsu were safely guarded to the upmost degree and when he'd left Konoha, he'd made sure to destroy them all. But this mystery assailant before him just fired off a fireball that was equal in strength, if not greater than his own. "Who are you?" Sasuke asked as he stood up straight and leveled a glare at the boy.

His opponent chuckled darkly as he looked the Uchiha directly in the eyes. "I see I've got your attention now. Well if you must know, my name is Kira Ken and I'm the one who's going to send you to the afterlife." The boy, Kira, took another deep breath and exhaled a fireball at Sasuke. The Uchiha merely sidestepped as he drew his sword and dashed forward at his opponent. Sasuke no longer cared who the boy was, only that he would die soon. Not only did he attack him out of know where, he also knew one of his family's closely guarded techniques.

Sasuke drew closer and closer as a sadistic grin spread across Kira's face. He did a few hand signs before slamming his hands into the ground. _**"Crystal Graveyard!" **_Crystalline spires began to erupt from the ground in front of Kira and rapidly spread across the forest floor. Sasuke leapt up onto a tree branch to avoid the glass spikes. His eyes narrowed at the dark-haired boy standing on the ground below. _'His jutsu is just like Guren's…'_

Kira smirked as we watched Sasuke from below. "Running away are we now? I thought you Uchiha were supposed to be elite or something," He laughed, eliciting a growl from the raven-haired boy. Sasuke formed three quick hand signs as he took in air. _**"Fire Style: Phoenix Flower Jutsu!" **_A barrage of small fireballs escaped Sasuke's mouth and raced toward Kira, who was still smirking like a madman. "You're going to have to do better than that! _**Fire Style: Phoenix Flower Jutsu!**_" Kira mimicked the Uchiha and shot out a series of slightly larger fireballs that collided with Sasuke's, cancelling out his attack.

Sasuke growled in frustration as the boy not only used another of his family's techniques, but it was yet again stronger and cancelled out his own. _'Just who the hell is this guy?' _Opting to try once more, Sasuke took in a deep breath as he shifted through hand signs. _**"Fire Style: Dragon Flame Bullet!" **_A mass of fire that took the shape of a dragon's head roared from Sasuke's mouth as it flew towards its target.

"We can do this all day!" Kira called out as he went through hand signs as well. _**"Fire Style: Dragon Flame Jutsu!" **_Fire surged from Kira's maw as he exhaled, clashing with Sasuke's jutsu. The flaming dragon head began to push through the flamethrower attack but it lost power before it could reach its mark and dissipated in Kira's flames. "My Fire Style trumps yours. You're going to have to do better than that," Kira said as he cancelled his jutsu. He barely had time to register the sound of chirping birds as Lightning emerged forth from behind his fires. He was lucky enough to turn his body at the last second and the lightning grazed his side rather than carve into his torso. Stumbling back Kira finally noticed Sasuke standing before him, lightning dancing wildly in the palm of his left hand.

"You might have dodged the brunt of it, but I promise you next time I _won't _miss," Sasuke said as he watched his prey back away. Kira cursed as he felt the stinging pain emanating from his side. _'I wasn't aware he had Lightning Style as well. I'll have to be more wary of that,'_ Kira thought as he erected a wall of glass in front of him. "That should buy sometime," he said to himself. He needed to refocus and come up with a plan. _**"Chidori Sharp Spear!" **_What he didn't expect was for a spear of lightning to pierce through his shield, nearly pinning his shoulder. _'This technique is long range as well?!' _Kira thought before quickly recomposing himself. One mustn't show weakness in the face of the enemy. "Even with the Sharingan, it seems your aim needs more work," Kira laughed. The smirk that appeared on Sasuke's face unnerved him a bit. _**"Raika!" **_Kira's eyes widened as the spear began to spark widely and Sasuke swung it at his neck, slicing through his crystalline barrier like a hot knife through butter.

Kira bent backwards, once again narrowly avoiding death at the hands of Sasuke's technique. He stood upright again just in time to see Sasuke approaching him rapidly. Kira encased his arm in glass and swung at the Uchiha. Sasuke easily saw the attack coming with his Sharingan and ducked under the crystalized fist before delivering a hard Kick to Kira's stomach. Kira was winded as his feet left the ground and he was sent skyward. He felt a presence behind him quickly followed by Sasuke's voice in his ear. _**"Lion's Barrage!" **_Kira felt two power kicks connect at his sides before an even stronger one landed on his chest and sent him crashing to the ground below.

Kira coughed violently as he tried to catch his breath when the sound of birds chirping filled the air once more. He looked up to see Sasuke coming straight at him, Sharingan blazing with his fist reared back and poised to strike as lightning chakra sparked wildly in his palm. "Not this time," Kira managed to grunt as he held his hand above him. A small dome of wind suddenly erected around him and intercepted Sasuke's attack. The raven-haired boy's eyes widened in surprise as he watched the wind disrupt his chakra and his Chidori dissipate. Smirking, Kira slammed one of his hands on the ground and a glass spire erupted from the ground. Sasuke was late to react and the spire pierced through the barrier of wind and into his left shoulder. The Uchiha cried out in pain as he began to slide down the slick spike, further enlarging the wound. Sasuke had to use his legs to balance on the spike while he used his arms to keep himself from sliding down any farther.

Sasuke heard laughter and looked down to see Kira rising to his feet with a maniacal grin spread across his features. "It seems like you're at my mercy now." Sasuke scowled at the boy. As much as he didn't want to believe it, what he said was true. As long as remained impaled on the spire, he was defenseless. Sasuke, through sheer willpower, began to pushed himself upwards, steadily inching himself towards the top. Kira saw this and raised the height of the spire, making Sasuke cry out as it slid through his wound. "I'm not through with you yet!" Kira said as he began shifting through hand signs and gathered chakra.

Sasuke sensed the upcoming attack and knew he'd be finished if he didn't escape soon. But that was the problem that eluded him. He had to use his hands to keep himself from being impaled even more which made using any jutsu out of the question. And he felt the strength in his left arm waning due to his injury and doubted he'd be able to even conjure a Chidori, let alone use it. _'Looks like I have no other choice...' _He resolved.

A surge of power broke Kira's concentration and he looked up in shock. He saw Sasuke surrounded by a dark aura and black flame markings spreading across his skin. The markings began to expand until they covered his skin completely, dying it a pale grey color. But what shocked him the most were the two hand-shaped wings that sprouted from his back. Sasuke, feeling his second stage transformation complete, gathered all his strength into his arms and gave the glass pillar a hard shove. It was enough to send him upwards and completely off the spire. He cursed as pain pulsed from his shoulder but the Curse Mark soon began to take effect and the wound began to close up. With his healing complete, Sasuke lowered himself to the ground and released the power of the Curse Mark, making it retreat back to the seal on his shoulder as his appearance reverted back to normal. He flexed flexed his fingers as left arm hung limply at his side. _'It'll be some time before all of the feeling comes back,' _he mused.

At the same time, Kira stared in amazement. He'd heard that the Uchiha were demons in combat with their Sharingan and Fire-Style skills, but this took the meaning to another level. "Why won't you just die?!" Kira roared in frustration.

"Why?" Sasuke asked coldly. Now he really wanted to know the boy's reasoning for attacking him. No one held _that_ much hatred towards someone without somekind of reason. Also if he could get him to explain himself, it would by some time for his arm to finish healing.

"You really want to know? Fine, I'll tell you!" Kira said. "Throughout History, the Uchiha were famous for being exceptional ninja. Their remarkable skills in Fire-Style and their coveted dōjutsu, the Sharingan, truly made them elite. And with the Uchiha, anything below elite was unacceptable," he explained. "Well it was quite a feat to awaken the Sharingan back then and there were a select few who weren't able to. No matter how hard they tried, they just couldn't. Branded as a disgrace to the clan, they were disowned. Great ninja cast aside based solely on the fact that they couldn't use a bloodline."

Sasuke nodded his head. That sounded like something that his clan would do. "But what does that have to do with me?" he asked.

"How about you shut the hell up and let me finish!" Kira barked. Sasuke gritted his teeth but remained silent nonetheless. "Any way, cast out from the clan, those few stragglers became nomads and migrated to the desert where they eventually settled. It was there that they met another group of nomads with the ability to manipulate sand. At some point the groups integrated and their affinities mixed, forming a new bloodline," Kira said as he held out another sword handle and glass slowly extended from the hilt. "Unlike the Hidden Rock's Dust-Style, Earth and Wind are used to form and manipulate sand while Fire is used to harden it into glass," he explained.

"I see…" Sasuke said. That at least explained his abilities. "So why are you attacking me?"

Kira's calm face quickly changed to a scowl. "To think you would've figured it out by now! Your stupid clan thinks they're so high and mighty thanks to that damn Sharingan. If it weren't for that thing, my people wouldn't have been cast aside like a ragdoll. I told myself long ago that I'd make the Uchiha pay for such a betrayal and even resolved to kill all of you if I had to. But that bastard Itachi ruined everything when he slaughtered them all!" He growled. "But that's when I heard of a lone Uchiha residing in Konoha, his little brother. It was then I decided to get my revenge by wiping the last two Uchiha off the face of the Earth!"

Sasuke only scoffed. Though he understood the boy's reasoning, he was just some brat seeking revenge for something that happened well before his time. He was foolish to think he could kill him, let alone his older brother. That right belonged to him and him alone.

"But with you going into hiding and your brother in some secret organization, it made things difficult. So I trained continuously, further advancing my bloodline and Fire-Style skills. You could never hope to match my Fire-Style and I've trained to the point where I can form glass instantaneously. I have to admit, it wasn't easy to find you, but now that I have, I will make kill you and your brother to right the wrongs committed against my ancestors! Now die! _**Fire-Style: Dragon's Tempest Jutsu!"**_ Kira opened his mouth and fire began to pour out as if it were a fountain. The flames continued to grow and eventually they came to settle in the form of a massive celestial dragon.

Sasuke was surprised at manifestation before him, but hid it well. This wasn't one of his family's jutsu and he wasn't sure if he knew one that could counter it. Kira smirk as he saw the Uchiha's uncertainty. "This is a jutsu of my own creation. I promise you won't feel any pain as it incinerates your flesh and devours your soul!" He cackled as he sent the dragon at the raven-haired boy.

Sasuke watched the flaming beast approach him and dodged at the last possible second. He quickly drew his sword and sprinted at Kira. It pissed him off to see the boy just stand there with that annoying smirk of his. But he suddenly sensed something and leapt up, just in time to evade the dragon. Sasuke watched as the mass of fire turned and came back at him. He took off into the shrubbery with the flaming beast hot on his heels. Sasuke ducked and dodged between the trees, trying to avoid the dragon and hopefully make it crash into a tree, but the flames continued to follow after him, expertly weaving through the trees just as he was. Sasuke cursed as he felt it closing in on him. Desperate to escape, he activated the Curse Mark's second stage once more and took flight. The burst of speed he gained from flying was enough to put a few more feet between him and the fire, but not enough to completely lose it.

Sasuke flew high into the air made a sharp turn, heading straight for the ground. The larger dragon was forced to make a wider turn but followed its prey nonetheless. Sasuke landed on the ground and immediately spawned a Chidori in each hand and watched as they were tainted black by the Curse Mark. He looked up to see the dragon coming straight form him. _**Lightning-Style: Piercing Thunder!" **_Sasuke leapt up and began to spin rapidly, a vortex of black lightning surrounding his body. The fiery dragon seemed to swallow him as he met it head on. Kira, if was even possible, was grinning even more now. _'He can't hope to survive against a fire that burns with the passion of a thousand suns! Those flames carry all my hatred and they will send his soul straight to Yomi itself!' _But his victory was short-lived. His victorious smirk was wiped from his face as he watched the black tornado burst from his dragon's side as the flames that made up the beast dissipated.

The vortex of lightning came to the ground and dispersed to reveal Sasuke in his normal form, panting heavily. His shirt was missing and there were minor burns spread across his arms and torso. Sasuke felt drained. The flames that made up the dragon burned with intensity he'd never thought possible. He had used a lot of chakra with his last technique and knew he had to end it this bout soon. He looked across the clearing to see Kira glaring holes into him.

"You might've survived last time, but let's see you do it again! _**Fire-Style: Dragon Flame Bullet!**_" A dragon head conjured from fire burst forth from Kira. Less than a second later, he form more hand signs and took in another deep breath. _**"Wind-Style: Air Bullet!" **_Kira exhaled a concussive blast of wind that slammed into his fireball, increasing it speed, force, and hopefully, damage.

Sasuke cursed when he tried to move but felt his legs anchored in place, making escape impossible. His only other option was to counter. Thinking on a whim, he held out his palm and began to swirl his chakra. A Rasengan surged to life shortly after and Sasuke was grateful that he'd become faster at forming one. It was slightly large than a normal one and it was his only hope. The dragon-shaped fireball roared as it neared its target. Sasuke reared his fist back and thrust the Rasengan at the incoming fireball. The two jutsu connected and the Rasengan exploded. The force of the explosion was enough to send the fireball spiraling back towards its conjurer. Enough time passed for surprise to appear on Kira's features before the fireball barreled into him. It exploded on contact and the ensuing concussive blast sent Kira's motionless body into the forest.

Sasuke let out a breath he didn't know he was holding and looked down at his slightly singed hand. "That actually worked…" He knew that when the Rasengan detonated, all of its power was directed at its target and figured the same concept would apply in this situation. Though he had some apprehension on it working on other jutsu, seeing as it always only cancelled out the Chidori, he turned out to be right. Sasuke began to feel light headed and everything started to get blurry. _'Damn it, I overdid it.'_ That was his last coherent thought before his world went black.

* * *

><p>Thought I forgot about Sasuke didn't you?<p>

This is just the start of his storyline which is going to start running parallel to Naruto's. I'm really excited about the next few chapters because I can finally write out the things that have been bugging the hell out of me since chapter 5! Anyway, while I'm working on the next chap, you guys R+R and let me know what you think!


	19. Homecoming

**Hits: 65, 692**

**Faves: 294**

**Alerts: 287**

Well I'm not getting as much feedback as I wanted at the moment but I guess that's to be expected when you don't update for awhile. Anyway I wanted to update earlier but my power was out for five days and I couldn't charge my here's...

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter XIX: Homecoming<strong>

Naruto awoke with a start. Once again, he was in a bed that was not his own. He sighed as he climbed out of the large bed. He was in the same room that he'd first visited in his dreams a few weeks ago. The same room that'd he awoken in for the past few nights as well. Naruto walked over to the doors that led to the veranda. He opened them and there she stood. She wore a white kimono and her long black hair flowed in the wind as she stood at the edge of the balcony. He slowly approached her from behind, careful not to startle her. But she seemed to be alert of his presence and turned to face him. "Hello Naruto-kun," She said with a soft smile.

"I take it you still aren't going to tell me who you are?" Naruto asked, trying not to get lost in her shining emeralds orbs. She only giggled in response. "In due time you will find out," She told him. She watched as the blonde boy walked up and stood next to her, looking out at the town below. "Where are we?" he asked.

"We are home Naruto-kun," She told him.

"And where exactly is home?" he asked. Every chance he had, he tried surveying the surrounding landscape in hopes of seeing any notable landmarks, but there were none. The outer wall of the town were surrounding with nothing but mist. In fact, the entire mountain that they stood atop was surrounded on all sides by a thick wall of clouds, as if it sat in the eye of a storm. "In due time Naruto-kun, in due time. Just keep following your heart and soon, you will find the place where you belong," She said as she rested her head on his shoulder.

Naruto was surprised by her sudden contact. He felt the urge to pull away, but found that he couldn't. She wasn't like any other girl he'd ever encountered. Her touch was soft, warm, and…welcoming. "It seems our time together is up Naruto-kun, but fear not, for we shall meet again soon," She said. Before Naruto could question what she meant, he felt himself being pushed over the edge of the balcony. He was too shocked to even scream as he plummeted towards the ground below. The last he saw of the girl before she became out of focus was her smiling face as she waved at him.

* * *

><p>"UGH!" Naruto grunted as he landed on his back with a thud, dazed and disoriented. He could only make out the sound of his sister's hysterical laughter nearby. <em>'What the hell happened?' <em>he groaned. He opened his eyes to see a large tree branch hovering over him. _'Oh yeah…' _He thought as the memories of him napping in the tree came back to him. He and Tsuki had been travelling for four days now and they had managed to reach the Land of Water. Unfortunately, the X on his map was rather big didn't pinpoint an exact location, so they'd been wandering around in the general area for a few hours now. That's when he opted to take a break.

The events of his most recent dream suddenly resurfaced in his mind. _'Follow my heart and I'll find the place I belong? How the hell is that supposed to help me? And what did she mean by "soon"?' _he thought, thoroughly confused by the mystery girl's clues. He hadn't felt anything in his heart but he had this feeling in his gut that had been nagging him. Maybe that's what she meant…

Naruto sat up and shook his head, clearing his thoughts. "Tsuki, shut up already!" he barked, finally annoyed with the small blonde's laughter. Tsuki slowly, but surely began to calm herself, only letting a few snickers escape every now and then. He was still a little peeved about what she did a few days prior. Not only did she disobey him, but of all the people to run into it had to be the Hokage herself. But try as he might, he couldn't stay mad at his sister. He couldn't fault her for leaving the room and meeting Tsunade was sheer coincidence. Hell had it been him when he was her age, he probably would've painted the town red. _Literally._

Naruto pushed himself to his feet and dusted off his clothes. "Alright, that's enough rest. We need to get moving," he said picking his bag up. Tsuki shot him a disbelievingly look. "What?! Big brother it's only been _five _minutes!" she protested. She barely had time to eat a snack, let alone sit and rest her feet. "I don't have crazy stamina like you Naruto!"

"Hn, sounds like a _you_ problem," He smirked in a very Sasuke-like way as he turned and began walking into the underbrush. He heard a loud thud, a pained cry, a few grumbles, and dirt shuffling before the sound of his sister's footsteps behind him reached his ears. He glanced over his shoulder to see a slightly limping and irate Tsuki. _'Bet she'll think twice before laughing at me again.'_

* * *

><p>Mountains, trees, and what do you know? Even more mountains. That all Naruto could see for miles around. It was like a mountain range sprung up in the middle of the forest. They been walking for three hours now and still had yet to find anything. He'd even started following his gut but they were still empty handed. "Naruto…my feet <em>hurt,"<em> Tsuki whined as she trudged along behind him. "Alright Tsuki-chan, we'll stop shortly. I think I see something ahead," Naruto said.

They continued to push through the shrubbery until they came to a break in the forest. There was a cliff a few yards away and at the edge of the cliff there sat a large gate with two guards flanking both sides. Beyond the massive doors of the gate there what Naruto believed to be a bridge. Naruto and Tsuki slowly approached the gate, only to be stopped by the two guards. "Halt!" one of the guards said. Being closer, Naruto was able to recognize that they were both women.

"I must ask you to leave," the other guard said.

"We don't want any trouble. We're just looking for a place to stay the night," Naruto said.

"I'm sorry to inform you, but no man shall find solitude here," the guard said.

"Excuse me?" Naruto asked, slightly offended.

"You didn't hear her the first time? Your kind aren't allowed here so leave now or else," the other guard said, obviously the more lively of the duo. "Alright I get it. I don't want any trouble," Naruto said raising his arms defensively. "But might I ask why?"

"This is Nadeshiko Village. The majority of the populous are women. Other than merchants, males have to earn their place here. And you don't look like a merchant so please leave," the more rational of the two answered. Naruto nodded in understanding. "Alright then, I'll just be going," he said as he turned to walk away. The two guards watched carefully as the blonde boy walked off. Both stared in a mixture of confusion and amazement when he vanished in a burst of light.

Naruto flashed into existence somewhere in the middle of the bridge. He glanced behind him to see the gate quite some ways off. "Good job Tsuki-chan," he said. The small figure of the grinning blonde fazed into existence in front of him. The moment she heard that Naruto wouldn't be allowed, she went invisible and walked right pass the guards. Naruto of course caught onto her plan. He turned from his sister and looked down to the opposite end of the bridge. There sat a village surrounded by a high wall. Rising into the clouds from the center of the village was an alabaster castle. Then it all clicked in Naruto's mind. _'The same place from my dreams…this is it…'_

"Naruto?" Tsuki asked as she shook her brother's arm. He'd zoned out on her, which was abnormal, and it kind of worried her. Naruto shook his head and turned to his sister. "I'm sorry Tsuki-chan, let's get going," he smiled at her. She shot him a cheesy grin back and the two began walking again.

"Wow they weren't kidding…" Naruto whispered to himself as they walked through the bustling village. Everywhere he looked there were women and kunoichi alike. There were a handful of men wandering about but for the most part the population was feminine. "There sure are a lot of girls here…" Tsuki said as she took in her surroundings. "You got that right," Naruto agreed. He'd noticed that some of them were eyeing him, some more critically than others. He could've sworn he'd seen a glint of lust in some of their eyes. It made him feel uncomfortable. _'I feel like a piece of meat walking through a lion's den…'_

"Oh a hot spring! Can we go big brother? Please, please, please, please, please?" Tsuki asked excitedly as she pointed at the building. Naruto thought it over for a second. It _had_ been awhile since they'd had a decent bath. Rivers and streams could only get you so clean. And a dip in the hot waters would do wonders for him aching muscles.

"Alright, alright, we'll go," He answered finally. His sister's antics were annoying him and she was beginning to draw attention. Tsuki let out an excited squeal as she drug her brother inside the onsen. Once inside, Tsuki spotted what she thought to be the front desk and walked straight up to it, pulling Naruto along behind her. There was a young brunette woman, no older than twenty, standing behind the counter. She seemed rather bored but she seemed to perk up when she spotted Naruto. "Oh, Why hello there," she greeted.

"Uh hello. How much to use the hot springs?" Naruto asked. He didn't like the way the woman was eyeing him hungrily.

"700 ryo for her and 1200 for you," She told him. Naruto reached into his bag and pulled out 2000 ryo and set it on the counter. "You can keep the change," he told her. He hated carrying around coins. The woman graciously took the money and placed it into the register. She reached under the desk and withdrew two white towels. "Here you go," She said handing the larger of the two to Naruto and the smaller to Tsuki. "The women's side is around the corner to the left and the men's is on the right. If you should require any assistance don't hesitate to come find me," she said with a wink.

"Uh thanks," Naruto said. He then turned his attention to Tsuki. "Meet me back here in one hour ok?" the small blonde nodded her head vigorously and was about to take off when she felt a tug on the back of her shirt. "I mean it Tsuki! No funny business," Naruto said sternly. The last thing he needed was her wreaking havoc in a village they'd been in for less than half an hour. "I know, I know, I'll be good!" She said as she broke free from his grip and scampered off to the women's side.

Naruto sighed and turned began walking towards the men's side, not missing the sultry wave the woman gave him. Naruto rounded the corner and opened a door to reveal a room lined with shelves full of bins. He removed all of his gear and discarded it all into a bin before stripping himself free of his clothes. He wasn't in the mood to fold it all so he just tossed it in the bin with the rest of his stuff. He leaned his sword in the corner of the room closest to his belongings before heading over to the door opposite the entrance.

He slid the door open to reveal the men's outdoor bath. It wasn't very large, but that was to be expected in a town in which majority of the population was female. He was glad to see he was alone however. Some peace and quiet would do him justice right now. He stepped onto the cold stone walkway and made his way over to the small pool. He stripped away his towel and folded it neatly before setting it on the ground near the water's edge. He slowly eased his way into the heated waters and a weight seemed to lift from his shoulders as the water's warmth sunk into his muscles. He lowered himself into a sitting position where the water only came up to his neck and leaned his head back, resting it on his towel.

"Nadeshiko Village huh? I can't imagine dad coming from an all-girl village," he thought aloud. "And how exactly am I supposed to go about _"reclaiming the throne" _and what not?" He'd been thinking it over and that's what had been troubling him the most. It's not like he could just walk in and be like "Hey the name's Naruto. My ancestors used to rule over this village long ago and now it's my turn." That would put him on the fast track to getting killed. He doubted they would just let him waltz in and take over. Not that he knew what he what to do in the first place. He'd always wanted to be Hokage when he was younger but he didn't know the first thing about running a village.

Sure Orochimaru had put him in charge of one of the bases before, but this was management on a whole different level. "And where the hell is that damn fox? He was supposed to travel here with us and help me out but he still hasn't shown his face!" Naruto soon started to feel drowsy. "Wow I'm really beat…Maybe…a good nap…will clear my head and hopefully…help me figure this whole ordeal out," He yawned as he began to doze off. Not even a full minute passed before the sound of the blonde's light snores filled the small bath. He slept peacefully without a care in the world.

A few minutes passed and an explosion went off, stirring the blonde from his slumber. "Huh? Karin it wasn't me this time I swear!" Naruto slurred as he was shaken awake by the shockwave. Screams soon filled his ears and it sounded as though they were coming from the women's side. "What the hell is going on?"

"Big Brother!" he heard his sister's desperate call.

Naruto immediately jumped out of the pool and wrapped the large towel around his waist. He summoned his sword and turned to the wall separating the men and women's bath. He didn't know what was going on but Tsuki was involved and that made it his business. He wasted no time slashing through the wall, ready to strike down his sister's aggressor.

* * *

><p>Tsuki slid open the door to the women's bath and happily skipped inside. There were about fifteen or so women bathing in the relaxing waters. Tsuki made her way around to the opposite side where there were less people and lowered herself into the hot pool. She was all alone and made sure to keep her distance from the other women. After they'd left Tanzaku Town, Naruto have given her a stern lecture about <em>Stranger Danger <em>and she didn't feel like going through it again. Tsuki swam around in small circles, letting the water's warm soothe her and relax her muscles. She was sore all over from travelling so much and her stamina-freak of a brother didn't do much to help.

Tsuki soon lost track of her surroundings and crashed into someone. "Oh my gosh, I'm sorry!" she hurriedly apologized. The woman she'd collided with turned to her with a soft smile. "Do not fret little one, accidents happen." The woman captivated Tsuki. She bright had green eyes, fair skin, and long, silky black hair with short bangs that framed her face. If she had to guess, she couldn't have been that much older than Naruto "Wow you're really pretty miss!" Tsuki blurted out. The girl blushed at her comment. "Tell me little one, are you here alone?" she asked.

"Nope, I'm here with my big brother!" Tsuki happily exclaimed. The girl's eyebrow rose.

"What is your name little one?" she asked.

"Tsuki, Tsuki Uzumaki!" she exclaimed proudly as she pointed to herself, failing to notice the surprise on the older girl's face.

"It's nice to meet you Tsuki. My name is Shizuka," the girl introduced herself. "Tell me Tsuki, where is your brother now?"

"Oh he's over there," Tsuki said pointing to the wall that separated the men's side from the women's.

"And you two are here alone?" Shizuka asked.

"Yeah, we just got here. We don't have any parents…" Tsuki said a bit downtrodden.

Shizuka nodded her head in understanding. That answered one of her questions. She could only guess that her brother was a blonde as well and as far as she knew, there was only one blonde in the entire village, which meant they were foreigners. She was intrigued to know exactly how a man entered the village unescorted. And she was certain that Uzugakure had been wiped out long ago and that the Uzumaki Clan was no more, yet here was a girl before her claiming to be one. "I'm sorry to hear that Tsuki," she said offering her condolences.

"It's ok," the small blonde said, immediately perking up. "Big brother is all the family I'll ever need!" she exclaimed.

"Can you tell me about your brother?" Shizuka asked.

"Sorry, Big brother said I'm not supposed to talk about him to strangers. He said some bad people are after him and they might find him if I go blabbing my mouth," Tsuki informed her. "I see…" Shizuka said. _'So he's a missing-nin. Well I won't have him hiding out here!' _Shizuka rose out of the water and wrapped her towel around her frame. She was about to go confront her village's unwanted guest when she heard screaming in the distance. "What the…"

The outer wall surrounding the bath suddenly exploded. Panic quickly spread throughout the occupants of the onsen, and most of the women began to scream as they fled. A select few, obviously kunoichi, kept their calm and be alert of the situation. A moment later, a large black machine stepped through the opening in the wall. It was tall and humanoid in nature with the number 100 printed across the front. There was a man sitting at the top and he seemed to be piloting the machine. He had long dark brown hair that fell into a ponytail down his back. He wore a light pink shirt, white trousers and a large purple waistcoat. A pair of square-rimmed glasses sat on the bridge of his nose. "Ah my sweet Shizuka-chan, I've found you at last," he said.

Shizuka only looked impassively at the man. "You again…"

"Yes my sweet and this time I shall definitely take you as my bride and then I will rule over Nadeshiko!" he exclaimed. The robots arms rose and its hands launched forward at Shizuka. She easily evaded the attack but wasn't prepared for them to swing back around. She soon found herself ensnared in the machine's grasp. "You're mine now!" the man laughed manically as he lifted his captive into the air. Shizuka tried to break free but the rigid metal from the robots hands dug into her skin the more she struggled.

"Leave her alone you big meanie!" Tsuki screamed up at him. He looked down to see the tiny blonde glaring up at him. "Heh, a mere child? I have no time for such Tom Foolery. I have a village to take over," He said. Tsuki was pissed now. If there was anything she hated the most in the world it was when people wrote her off because of her size. She might not be big enough to take him down but she knew someone who was. "Big Brother!" she screamed out. The man looked shot her a confused look. Shortly after, the wall separating the two baths crumbled, revealing a teenage boy. He was clad in nothing but a white towel around his waist. He was holding what looked to him like a blue rod of some sort and he didn't look happy in the slightest.

Naruto was surprised to see the large robot towering over the area, but hid it well. He scanned the area for his little sister and his eyes caught sight of her sitting in the water a safe distance away. "Big brother this big bad man is hurting Miss Shizuka!" She called out to him. "Miss Shizuka?" Naruto looked to the robot again to see the half-naked woman clutched in the machine's hands. He didn't know who she was but it was obvious she was in trouble. "I don't know who you are but I'm going to have to ask you to put the lady down," Naruto yelled to the man.

He only laughed in response. "Stupid boy! I am the great Kokuyō, master puppeteer and soon to be ruler of Nadeshiko Village!" he proclaimed. Unfortunately for him, his plans conflicted with Naruto's own. _'That's going to be a problem…' _Naruto thought. If the man was going to make accusations like that then he definitely needed to be taken out. "Now I suggest you go back to the hole you crawled out of boy, I've got business to take care of," Kokuyō said.

Naruto wasn't very fond of being written off. In a show of speed, he drew his sword and rushed forward. Channeling wind chakra into his blade, he sliced through the robotic puppet's arm, freeing its hostage. "What?! NO!" Kokuyō roared. Naruto caught Shizuka and gently set her on the ground before turning back toward the puppeteer. "Insolent little brat!" Kokuyō barked as he brought the robot's heavy fist down on Naruto's head. Naruto sidestepped the incoming blow and jumped up to deliver a powerful roundhouse to the robot's torso. Kokuyō and his machine went flying through outer wall of the bath and into the streets of the village. Naruto landed and sheathed his sword before jumping through the hole he'd just created.

Shizuka had finally regained her bearing after watching the blonde boy's figure disappear through the hole in the wall. _'Who was that? And what is this feeling in my heart?' _she thought. She heard splashing and turned to see Tsuki exiting the bath. "Don't worry Miss Shizuka, my big brother will beat up the bad man!" she proclaimed as she ran inside the bathhouse. She had to hurry and catch up to Naruto.

"So that was her brother…" Shizuka said to herself. Not only did she have a madman running amok in her village, but a missing-nin as well. And now they were using it as a battleground. "I have to put a stop to this!" She said as she hopped to her feet and took off into the bathhouse. As leader, it was her responsibility to protect the village and its inhabitants from harm.

* * *

><p>Naruto felt a tingly sensation in his chest as he left the hot springs but ignored it as he chased after the crazed puppeteer. Kokuyō had underestimated the boy and was now on the run. He ran all over the village, startling people everywhere he went in an effort to lose the blonde. But Naruto proved to be persistent and followed his every move. "Try this on for size!" Kokuyō shouted as he fired a missile at his pursuer. Never having seen such a weapon before, Naruto evaded it and his eyes widened when it crashed into a building behind him and exploded. <em>'Note to self: don't get hit by one of those.'<em>

"I'm not through with you yet!" Kokuyō roared as she launched a barrage of missiles at the blonde. Naruto was preparing to evade them all when he took note of his surroundings. _'Damn even if I dodge them then they'll just crash all over the place and people will die!' _He stopped in the middle of the road and quickly formed three hand signs as the missiles closed in on his position. _**"Wind Style: Unrelenting Force!" **_Naruto exhaled a concussive blast of wind that intercepted the explosive projectiles and redirected them skyward. They all spiraled out of control and crashed into each other, detonating a safe distance away from any innocent bystanders.

'_Damn it who is this boy!' _Kokuyō cursed as he continued to flee. He soon ran into a large plaza and decided this was where he would make his last stand. He turned to face his opponent and saw Naruto enter the plaza. "You want a piece of me boy?! Then come and get some!" Kokuyō roared. A long blade extended from forearm of the robot's remaining appendage.

Naruto held his sword at his side and relaxed into a defensive stance. The air around him began to surge slightly as he channeled wind chakra into his blade. Seeing the boy remain motionless, Kokuyō decided to take the initiative and dashed at his opponent. "I'll show you to mess with me wretched child!" he cried out as he closed in. Naruto remained still, watching as the massive machine rushed at him. When it was just a few feet away, Naruto slashed at the space in front of him.

Kokuyō smirked at the boy failed attack and he saw victory in his future. He was about to speak when his puppet suddenly ceased to move. "What the…" There was a load groaning noise escaped the machine. Kokuyō felt the robot shift violently, much to his confusion. His expression soon turned to that of horror as he watched his robotic puppet split in half beneath him. He began to plummet to the ground as his robot fell apart around him.

He was mentally preparing himself for the painful landing to come when he saw the blonde boy appear under him, a bright blue ball of some sort spinning wildly in his hands. Naruto jumped up meet Kokuyō in midair and slammed his jutsu into the man's abdomen. _**"Rasengan!" **_The ball of chakra exploded and sent the puppeteer spiraling into the air. Naruto watched as his limp form flew over the outer wall of the village. "That take's care of that."

Naruto felt eyes watching him and looked around to see the plaza filled with spectators, all of which had their eyes locked on him. Naruto felt a sudden breeze and clutched his towel with his free hand to keep it from falling. It was only now he finally realized his state of undress. _'Fuck…' _He quickly turned to head back to the hot springs to retrieve his clothes when he found himself surrounded by women. They were dress in a similar fashion as the gate guards he'd run into earlier and each of them wore identical headbands.

"You there!" a woman's voice called out to him. He turned around to meet the owner of the voice. He recognized her as the girl from the hot springs earlier, the one Tsuki called "Miss Shizuka." Only now she was fully clothed. Like the rest of the women, she wore a form-fitting dark grey uniform with a navy undershirt that revealed a fair amount of her sizeable cleavage. There was a shoulder guard on her right shoulder, her hands were covered with dark grey gloves, and a red clothe encircled her waist, tying into a bow behind her back. But what really drew his attention were her eyes. _'It's…it's her…the girl from my dreams!' _He thought as shock spread across his features.

Shizuka looked just as shocked to see him but she quickly schooled her features. "You're under arrest for entering the village without a permit and destroying public property. Please place your weapon at your feet and surrender peacefully," She ordered. Naruto couldn't believe his ears. Not only did he rescue her, but he took out the man terrorizing the village and they were arresting _him_.

"Big brother!" Tsuki called out as she entered the plaza. She was carrying a scroll in her hands and ran up to Naruto, breathing heavily. "I put all your stuff in here," She panted as she handed him the scroll. Tsuki only now noticed the group of kunoichi surrounding them and her eyes fell upon their leader. "Miss Shizuka? You're here too?" she asked. "Yeah, she's arresting me…" Naruto said. Tsuki's eyes would've fallen out of her head if they opened any wider. "What?! What for? Big brother isn't a bad person! He was just trying to help!" she exclaimed.

"I'm sorry Tsuki but it's the law and as village leader, I must uphold the law to the highest degree to maintain order," Shizuka told her. "Now come peacefully, or die here and now," She said, turning her attention back to Naruto.

Naruto didn't have any other option but to submit to her demands. Firstly, all of his gear except his sword was sealed in the scroll he held which meant he couldn't use any kunai to execute the Flying Thunder God Jutsu. Secondly, he was outnumbered considerably. There was no way in hell he could take on a village's entire shinobi force _and_ its leader. Thirdly, Tsuki was in the middle of the mix and there was the chance of her getting hurt. And lastly, he was damn near stark naked. There was absolutely no way for him to fight effectively and keep his dignity with nothing but a towel loosely wrapped around his waist. "Alright, I'll go, but can I make one request?" he asked.

Shizuka raised an eyebrow. "And what would that be?"

"Um…can I at least put my clothes back on?" Naruto asked a bit red in the face.

* * *

><p>And there you have it! I answered the two questions that have been on everyone's minds the most! R+R and let me know what you think!<p> 


	20. The Namikaze Heir

**Hits: 74,260**

**Favs: 328**

**Alerts: 315**

Wow I can't believe it's already been a year since i started his story. I'm definitely not as far as I had imagined I'd be at the year mark but certain circumstances arose. I'm still trying my best to write when I can but my job has to be manned 24/7 and I work 12 hr shifts so I'm dead tired when I get home. It doesn't help that I just picked up a whole new slew of games (ACIII and DMC). I like to spend my off days doing what I can't do on my workdays. But I think I've come up with a good system to incorporate time for writing so we'll see how that works out.

Anyway I'd like to say thanks to everyone who supports the story (esp those who've stuck around for the last year) and hopefully by this time next year it should be finished, or really close. By then I should have mastered to this new lifestyle the Air Force threw at me. Well, with out further adieu, I give you...

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter XX: The Namikaze Heir<strong>

'_Like a piece of meat walking through a lion's den…' _Naruto said to himself again as he walked. He was currently being escorted through the village by a squad of kunoichi and Shizuka herself. His hands were bound and he'd stripped him of all his weapons. They'd even gone as far as to place a chakra suppressing seal on him. But they at least had the decency to let him put his clothes back on. Being paraded stark naked through a village full of women was not his idea of a good day.

'_This is just like the time I was drug back to Konoha,'_ Naruto thought as he felt the many stares fall upon him. Only this time he didn't needed to escape. He had to find some way to convince them all that he was their rightful leader. He felt like slamming his head against a wall every time he said it. It sounded absolutely ridiculous and he had no doubt in his mind that they would laugh in his face and then kill him after he said it. _'I knew I shouldn't have trusted that fox! They're nothing but conniving little creatures!'_

Naruto cast a glance at the girl leading the group. _'Can this really be her?' _he asked himself. There was no doubt that this Shizuka girl was the one he'd been seeing in his sleep but it all just seemed so surreal. _'Well if it is her, she sure isn't as nice and humble as she was in my dreams,' _

"Naruto…"

Said blonde was shaken from his thoughts and looked down to meet his sister's gaze. "Yes Tsuki-chan?"

"Are we in trouble?" She asked. Naruto was at a loss for words. He'd still yet to tell her of their true intentions for being here. He couldn't exactly tell her that he had some grandmaster escape plan and that everything was going to be alright. How the upcoming events unfold were a complete mystery to him. _'Note to self: When entering a village, place a Flying Thunder God seal somewhere outside of it. This whole situation could've been easily avoided,' _He mentally berated himself. "You know, I'm not sure exactly…"

Shizuka couldn't help but overhear the blondes conversing. She was surprised and confused by their presence. But what really threw her off was the sight of Naruto. _'That boy…he's the one from my dreams,' _She reminisced as her most recent dream played over in her head.

* * *

><p>Shizuka awoke with a start. She surveyed her surroundings was relieved to see she was still in her room. She was about to lay back don until she heard the faint sound of whistling coming from the veranda. She slid out of bed and cautiously approached the double doors that led to the balcony. As she drew closer, the whistling became louder and more distinct. She lowly opened the doors and had to shield her eyes from the sudden surge of light from the sun.<p>

When she opened her eyes, she spotted a boy across the large balcony. He had spiky blonde hair that was as bright as the sun itself. He was sitting on the ledge with his legs hanging over the side as he whistled an unknown tune. _'It's him…' _The boy suddenly went quiet, almost as if something alerted him. he glanced over his shoulder and saw Shizuka standing there, staring at him. "Well good morning sleepyhead!" he grinned. He rose to his feet and dusted himself off.

"Who are you?" Shizuka asked. After all the times she'd seen him she could never get him to tell her his name. "I'm the one you've been waiting for Shizuka-chan," he said. Shizuka had to stop herself from getting lost in his oceanic eyes. "Don't play games with me! I don't know who you are so would you stop haunting me!" she yelled.

The boy flinched at her words. He stared at her for a moment, as if analyzing her, before letting out a sigh. "Alright, I know when I'm not wanted," he said. He turned around and walked to edge of the balcony. He stepped up onto the ledge and took in a deep breath. "Well, I guess this is good bye," he said shooting Shizuka one last glance before jumping over the edge.

"Wait!" Shizuka exclaimed, eyes wide from shock. That wasn't what she had meant. She ran over to the ledge and glanced over the side. She searched desperately for the boy's body but it was nowhere in sight. "Huh?"

"Miss me?" a voice whispered in her ear as a pair of arms wrapped around her waist. Shizuka jumped in surprise and quickly turned in the assailant's arms to find herself staring into the boy's deep blue eyes. They sparkled like sapphires as they stared down into her own emerald orbs. Shizuka went red in the face from the sudden contact. She wanted to push him away but his touch was so warm and comforting that she couldn't help but melt into his arms. "B-But how…" She stammered. The boy only chuckled at her. "You're too cute when you get all flustered Shizuka-chan," He said as he lowered his face towards hers.

Shizuka tried to avert her gaze but found she couldn't. She could only stare at his lips which seemed to be drawing her in with each passing moment. The boy brought forehead down to rest on hers as he stared into her eyes. "I'm yours, now and forever Shizuka-chan," He whispered. Shizuka couldn't fight it anymore. She slowly rose to bring her lips to meet his and just before they made contact, there was a flash of light and the boy was gone.

* * *

><p>A small tinged of red spread across Shizuka's face as she recalled the dream. Never in her life had anyone made her succumb like that, and he did it in a matter of seconds, albeit it was just a dream. She glanced at Naruto over her shoulder. <em>'If this really him I'll have to be wary of him…' <em>She thought.

"Shizuka-sama!" Said girl was stirred from her thoughts by the call of her name. She looked forward to see a tall woman running towards the group. She had a slender physique with a very angular face framed by her short brown hair along with a dark shade of red lipstick. Unlike the others, she wore a short, backless, red, full-body suit over mesh armor, along with a pair of arm-length gloves, and a long apron skirt that opened in the front. Her wrists and thighs were covered with bandages."Shizuka-sama, I came as soon as I heard! Are you alright?" she asked.

"I'm fine Tokiwa, everything has been taken care of," Shizuka reassured her. Tokiwa sighed in relief. She saw the bound Naruto and shot a glare at him. "Is he the one who attack you milady?" She asked as one her hands found its way to the hilt of the long katana strapped to her back.

"Actually, no he's the one who stopped the attacker. It was the puppet master again," Shizuka told her. Tokiwa visibly relaxed and let go of her sword, but she continued to eye Naruto critically. "Why is the boy in chains then, if I might ask?" she queried. "Because he destroyed the hot springs in the process and he's here illegally," Shizuka informed her. "I see…" Tokiwa said. Shizuka looked into the evening sky and noticed how the sun was beginning to set. "Come, we must get back to the palace," She said and the group began walking again.

Naruto and the ensemble of kunoichi escorting him arrived at the castle that rested in the center of the village a short time later. It sat atop a large hill which the rest of the village was built around. They entered the palace courtyard and Naruto could feel the eyes of the guards on him. it was almost as if they were daring him to escape. "Do it," he heard Tokiwa say. Naruto was pondering what she meant when he felt something strike the back of his neck and everything went black.

* * *

><p>"Ugh…" Naruto groaned as he regained consciousness. Everything was groggy and he felt like he'd been hit by one of Jūgo's Curse Mark punches. Whoever had hit sure didn't hold back. "I see you're finally awake," He heard a voice say. Naruto slowly opened his eyes to see he was in a large circular room. He looked up to see many pairs of eyes focused on him. '<em>They must be a council and this must be the room where they gather,' <em>Naruto thought. Naruto tried to move but found he was restrained. They had him heavily chained to a chair in the middle of the room. A thought crossed his mind and he began scanning the room desperately. He heard light snores next him and felt relieved when he turned to see Tsuki sleeping in a chair next to him. It pained to see her in the same predicament as him.

"Who are you and what are you doing here?" the voice asked again. Naruto turned to see Shizuka staring intent at him. He raised an eyebrow when he saw her twirling on of his kunai between her fingers.

'_Wow I hadn't expected to be doing this so soon. I don't even know what to say!' _ Naruto thought as he gazed around the room. He'd noticed banners hanging from the ceiling hanging above each woman's head, each donning an insignia. If he had to guess, they were the symbols of the different clans in the village and there were eleven in total. But there was one in particular that caught his attention. It was the one which hung above Shizuka. Naruto looked down at his palm and back to the banner. The insignias were one in the same.

"I asked a question and I was expecting an answer," Shizuka said impatiently.

'_Guess I should start off by introducing myself,' _Naruto thought. "My name is Naruto…Naruto Namikaze…" Their reaction was instantaneous. Shizuka's eyes widened and she dropped his kunai and the other women began to whisper amongst themselves. Shizuka quickly recomposed herself as she looked at the blonde before her. "That's impossible. The last Namikaze left the village over twenty years ago. You're too young to be him," she stated.

"You're right. Minato Namikaze was the Yellow Flash of Konoha. He was also the Fourth Hokage and my father. He died the night I was born along with my mother trying to protect me from the Nine-Tails," Naruto said. More whispers escaped the council and Shizuka didn't seem convinced one bit. "Prove it," she said.

"Come again?" Naruto said.

"I said prove it. Prove that you are of the Namikaze bloodline," Shizuka repeated.

Naruto was stumped. He didn't know anything about his father's clan. He only guessed that the blonde hair was one of their defining traits but that didn't seem to be enough for them. _**"Use your father's technique…' **_A voice echoed in his head. Naruto's eyes widened. The voice wasn't that of the Nine-Tails, which left him wondering who could possibly be invading his thoughts. But the nonetheless, the voice had given him an idea. _'Well it's certainly better than sitting here looking like an idiot,' _he told himself.

"Well I can't exactly do that if I'm chained down to the floor," Naruto said. Shizuka snapped her fingers and immediately there was a guard at his side, undoing his bonds. The chains fell to the floor and could some of his chakra returning to him. They still had a seal on him but he had more than enough for the moment.

"No funny business. If you attack of try to escape you won't be shown any-" Shizuka's words caught in her throat when she suddenly found herself staring into a pair of deep cerulean orbs. A collective gasp escaped the occupants of the room. "remorse…" Shizuka breathed out. Naruto was staring straight into her eyes, a look of amusement on his features. "I'm going to need this back," he taking his kunai from a stunned Shizuka. He flashed back to his spot in the center of the room.

'_I'm guessing that did the trick…'_ Naruto thought as he noticed the council staring at him in awe. "I see you have made it, Naruto-sama," a voice came from behind him. He turned around to see the black and blue fox bowing before him. "Yeah, no thanks to you," he scoffed. "Forgive me, Naruto-sama. I had pressing matters to attend to," the fox apologized. "Yeah, whatever," Naruto said as he began to undo his sister's binds.

"Lucario…who is this boy?" Shizuka asked from her position across the room. "Ah, I see you have met Lady Shizuka," the fox said to Naruto as he stepped forward. "Forgive me Lady Shizuka, for I was supposed to deliver Naruto-sama to the village myself but something came up that required my attention. And to answer your question, Naruto-sama is indeed the last of the Namikaze and heir to the clan." Lucario explained.

"So what he said…"

"Is true. Minato-sama perished the day Naruto-sama was born in an attempted to save his life from the Nine-Tails. And when I heard of a man breaking into the village I assumed that it was Naruto-sama and it seems I was correct. Before I came here I was on my way to get Lady-"

"Minato?" a voice came from behind him. Naruto figured it was he who was being addressed and turned towards the person. It was short elderly woman, somewhere in her late fifties if he had to guess. She had shoulder-length platinum blonde hair that was beginning to show signs of greying and a striking pair of forest green eyes. She wore a tan robe with a blue shawl draped over her shoulders. "Naminé-sama" Lucario whispered, bowing before the woman. "Lady Naminé!" Shizuka uttered as she bowed in respect towards the woman. The rest of the council mimicked her.

Naruto scratched his head in uncertainty. He didn't know who this woman was but she was obviously well respected. "About that, I'm not-"

"Yes child I'm well aware of that," Naminé interrupted him. "It's just that I never thought you two would look so much alike." She slowly made her way towards him and enveloped the taller blonde in a hug. Naruto was greatly confused. He'd known this lady for less than a minute and she was hugging him as if he'd just come back from war. "I'm sorry ma'am, I don't mean any disrespect, but who are you?"

"Ah yes, I suppose introductions are in order," Naminé said as she released him. "I'm the one who sent Lucario to you. I had originally sent him out to find my son but was regretfully informed that he'd passed away. It was only by chance that Lucario caught wind that my son had a child of his own, so I tasked him to find you," she explained. "Four years we've watched over you Naruto-kun. From the time you graduated the academy up until now. Getting you to come here was no easy task, but it seems fate has played in our favor," she said with a smile.

Naruto's eyes widened in surprise as he digested her words. "S-So that means you're…"

"Yes Naruto-kun. My name is Naminé Namikaze. Minato Namikaze was my son and you Naruto-kun, are my grandson," Naminé smiled at him. Naruto stared at the elderly woman in disbelief. A million thought were racing through his mind but there was one in particular that was plaguing him. "Why…?" he said under his breath.

"I'm sorry Naruto-kun, you'll have to speak up. My ears aren't like they used to be." Naminé said.

"Why now? If you were really looking after all that time then why wait till now?! Why didn't you take me out of that hell hole sooner?!" Naruto asked, raising his tone considerably.

Naminé let out a sigh. "Believe Naruto-kun, I wanted nothing more than to have you here with me but it wouldn't have been that easy. You were always under constant watch by someone and from Lucario's, you were a bit eccentric. Your love for Konoha was unconditional back then and I wanted you here of your own free will not by force. So instead, I tasked Lucario to watch over you and to guide you here when the time was right," she explained.

Naruto cursed his knuckled-headed younger self. That overbearing ego of his always did cause problems from him. "So what now?" he asked. Naminé walked up to the taller blonde and gazed into his eyes. "I wish for you to stay Naruto-kun. As the last Namikaze, it is your rightful place to rule over Nadeshiko," She told him.

"Now wait just a minute!" a shrill voice cried out. They all turned to see a woman standing from her seat at the council. She was clothed in black and white robes similar to Naminé's. Her long, wavy, black hair reached down her back and her piercing blue eyes were focused intensely on the blonde duo standing in the center of the room. "Surely you must be kidding?" she barked.

Naminé let out a tired sigh. "Yume-san, we all knew this day would come. The Namikaze founded this village along with Nadeshiko clan long ago. They ruled here for many centuries until my late husband passed. With Minato's disappearance, authority was passed back over to the Nadeshiko clan until the day a Namikaze returned, and that day is today. Naruto-kun is the rightful heir," she said. "So were just going to let some random man, no _boy_, waltz into our village and take over? We don't know anything about him! How do we even know he's of the noble blood?" Yume asked.

"Are you doubting my ability to recognize my own kinfolk?" Naminé asked sharply. "Blonde bright hair and striking blue eyes. If his looks aren't convincing enough I'll say this: I can sense the Namikaze blood flowing strongly through Naruto-kun's veins. And surely you saw how he used the jutsu left behind by Raijin-sama. If he weren't of the blood, that would've killed him instantly!"

The councilwoman was taken aback by the elder's words. "Even so, he's much to young! The boy can't be much older than 15!" Yume protested. Naruto scoffed at the woman's words. _'Try 16 you old bat! Surely I don't look that young…'_

"Naruto-kun is only two years younger than Shizuka-chan," Naminé shot back.

"But Shizuka-sama has proven herself to be a strong and fitting leader!" Yume countered.

Naminé sighed tiredly once more. This abysmal woman was working the few nerves she had left…_again_. "What exactly are you getting at Yume-san?" she queried.

"If this _boy _really is a Namikaze then I say he prove himself. If he intends to rule over the village then he must prove himself stronger than our current leader. I vote that Naruto-san must face Shizuka-sama in battle. If he truly is a Namikaze, then this should be no feat to him and should he actually prevail, then and only then will I acknowledge him," Yume said. Whispers began to arise throughout the gathering hall. Naminé looked at Yume disapprovingly. That woman had been against the return of the Namikaze for as long as she could remember. She was well known for her distaste for men and the thought of one having authority over her didn't sit well in her mind.

"Fine," Naminé said. "If this is what it will take then I guess it can't be helped. Tomorrow, Naruto-kun and Shizuka-chan shall duel for the position of village leader. Shizuka-chan do you accept these conditions?" she asked. "I will do my duty for the village," the young leader replied. "Then it is settled. Tomorrow at noon, we shall see if this boy is who you actually believe him to be," Yume said smugly.

'_Great…just great…' _Naruto thought. He knew it would be difficult trying to convince them but he didn't plan on having to fight to prove his point. He snuck another glace at Shizuka to see her staring at him analytically. He couldn't read her but he could feel an aura of power emanating from the older girl. _'I should've known this wouldn't be easy. But why do I feel like I'm only causing problems…?"_

"Yes, tomorrow you _shall _see. I have faith in the Namikaze bloodline and I have faith in my grandson!" Naminé proclaimed. "Come Naruto-kun, I shall show you to your room," she said turning to leave. Naruto was taken aback by his words and only stared at her retreating form. This woman, his newly found grandmother, had barely known him ten minutes and she had the upmost confidence in him. _'Grandmother…'_

Naminé looked over her shoulder to see her grandson still rooted in place. "Well are you coming or not? I'm not getting any younger and an elderly woman like me needs her beauty sleep," she said.

"Y-Yes ma'am," Naruto said snapping out of his trance and scooped the still sleeping Tsuki into his arms. He cast once last glance at Shizuka to see her still eyeing him critically. He noticed the disapproval brought on by her stare, but couldn't help but notice what he thought to be a glint of curiosity in her eyes. "Beauty sleep Naruto-kun!" Naminé called from the door. "Coming," he said as he broke eye contact with Shizuka and fell in step behind his grandmother.

* * *

><p>'<em>Just who is that boy?' <em>Shizuka asked herself. _'Is he really Lady Naminé's grandson? Is he truly a Namikaze?' _The eighteen year old leader was currently walking back to her room to retire for the night, but ever since she'd left the gathering hall, she couldn't seem to get the young blond off her mind. She'd heard the legends of the Namikaze clan as a child but she never expected one to appear during her lifetime. At least not until the talk she'd had with Naminé a few months ago…

* * *

><p>"<em>Shizuka-chan," there was a knock at the door. "Do you have a minute?"<em>

"_Lady Naminé! Of course, please come in!" Shizuka said as she offered a formal bow._

"_No need for such formalities Shizuka-chan. It makes me feel old," Naminé chuckled as she entered the young leader's bedroom. She made her way across the room to the small couch in resting front of the fireplace. She patted the seat next to her, gesturing the young girl to sit with her. Shizuka made her way to the couch and seated herself next to the elderly woman, curious as to what she wanted to speak with her about. "Is there something wrong Lady Naminé?" she queried._

"_No, not at all dearie, I just wanted to talk with you. It's about the prophecy…" A look of surprise crossed Shizuka's face. She had just recently been told about it. She doubted its validity at first but searched through the village's records and found it all to be true. "What about the prophecy?" she asked._

"_Well more so, it's about one of the descendants, Raijin-sama's to be exact. He's been found," Naminé said._

"_But how is that possible? The last Namikaze was Kosuke-sama and he died over thirty years ago," Shizuka queried._

"_That's a lie," Naminé sighed. "The truth is, I had a son born to me shortly after my husband's death. His name was Minato and he stayed in the village until he suddenly disappeared when he was twelve. I thought the bloodline would end with him, but it seems fate was on our side. I've learned recently that my son died in an attack by the Nine-Tails sixteen years ago and on that same night a son was born to him. That boy has Raijin-sama's blood in him and he is the last of the Namikaze Clan,"_

_Shizuka sat silently, trying to digest everything she'd just heard. A look of uncertainty crossed her face. "I'm sorry we've kept this from you but I felt it was right to leave you in the dark until the time was right," Naminé said placing a hand on the young leader's shoulder._

"_So what does this mean?" Shizuka asked._

"_It means that someday that boy, my grandson, will come back to his rightful home and when he does, it'll be his birth right to take up the seat of power over Nadeshiko," Naminé said. Shizuka seemed to accept the answer and nodded her head. Naminé watched as she stared out the window with a far off look in her eyes. "Shizuka-chan?" The dark-haired girl turned to face the elderly blonde once more. "I wasn't supposed to tell you but I feel you have the right to know. It's an old tradition that members of the Namikaze Clan would take women from the Nadeshiko Clan as their bride. This was to keep the devout power that runs in our veins within the village. It would not do well to have the power of the gods running rampant across the lands. My grandson is the last of the Namikaze…and you are the current head of the Nadeshiko Clan. I have all reason to believe that you two are to be wed," Naminé said._

_Shizuka's eyes widened for a brief moment but she quickly schooled her features. "I see, thank you Lady Naminé," she said._

"_But that won't be for a while now so it gives you two ample time to meet and get to know one another. I won't have you thrown into a loveless marriage where you have no respect for one another. I'll make sure you're happy Shizuka-chan. My grandson will be the most respectable young man there is, and if he isn't already, he will be when I'm through with him," Naminé said with a raised fist, making Shizuka giggle._

* * *

><p>'<em>So that boy is to rule over the village now and become my husband…' <em>Shizuka said to herself. It honestly didn't surprise her. The husband part that is. There were two possible courses of action and they both led to her wedding the young blonde. If by chance she lost tomorrow, then they would be wed in accordance with her village's law. And even if she succeeded tomorrow, they'd be married based on an old tradition. Either way, she was to be forever united with the young Namikaze.

"A lot on your mind?" a voice asked.

Shizuka stopped and turned to the owner of the voice emerge from the shadows. It was a young girl, no older than herself, with long black hair and a stunning pair of golden eyes. She was dressed in the standard Nadeshiko kunoichi outfit. "Naomi," the girl's name escaped Shizuka's lips.

"Are you alright Zuka-chan? You seemed bothered?" Naomi asked stepping towards the village leader.

"Yes, I'm fine. It's just as you said, I have a lot on my mind," Shizuka said.

"It wouldn't have anything to do with that Namikaze boy would it now?" Naomi grinned slyly.

"No it does not," Shizuka said as she turned away from her friend and continued on her way again. "Don't you think it's kind of strange?" Naomi asked, falling in step behind Shizuka. "A Namikaze appearing out of nowhere like this? I know they were supposed to return some day but this is all so sudden! What do you think of this Zuka-chan?"

"It was fated to happen."

"Yeah but still, it just all seems so…"

"Inconvenient," Shizuka offered.

"No…"

"Problematic."

"No, I wouldn't say that,"

"Troublesome."

"Wow you're really not helping Zuka-chan," Naomi dead panned. The young leader remained indifferent as she walked. "You don't seem very happy about this. Is something wrong?" Naomi asked as she looked to her friend in concern. Shizuka let out a sigh and came to a stop. "No there's nothing wrong. It's just been a long day and I have a lot on my mind. I really want to just rest right now."

Naomi stared at her friend, as if she was unconvinced until Shizuka offered a soft smile. "I'll be alright Naomi, I promise." Naomi was still a bit skeptical but decided to let it go. It had been a long and may she was just tired after all. "If you say so. I'll see you tomorrow Zuka-chan. I'll be waiting for you!" the upbeat brunette exclaimed as she waved and turned down a separate hallway. Shizuka watched as her long-time best friend walked away before turnig and making her way down the dimly lit corridor towards her own room, thoughts plagued with the image of a certain blonde heir.

* * *

><p>Naruto's face scrunched up and he let out a disgruntling sneeze. <em>'The hell?' <em>Naruto thought. He shook his head and turned his attention towards his grandmother. "So what now?" he asked, finally breaking the long uncomfortable silence that plagued them.

"I'm sorry Naruto-kun but it seems you have no other choice but to fight with Shizuka-chan tomorrow. It is the only way that the council and the village will acknowledge you," Naminé sighed. Naruto let out a tired sigh of his own. He'd hope to do things peacefully but that plan was shot to hell. "So there's no other way?" he asked.

"I'm afraid not…" Naminé told him.

"I see…then I suppose I-"

"GET AWAY FROM LADY NAMINÉ YOU BASTARD!" A shrill voice suddenly screamed.

"Huh?" Naruto looked up so see a girl falling straight towards him. She was wielding a katana that was aimed straight for his neck. Naruto hurriedly jumped back and watched as she slammed her sword in the spot where he once stood. She pulled her blade from the ground and glared at Naruto. He watched as another girl emerged from the shadows at his grandmother's side. She was a carbon copy of the first girl. _'Twins?' _Naruto thought.

"Don't worry Lady Naminé, we'll protect you," the second girl said as she put herself between the blonde elder and Naruto. "Girls stop this right now! This is all a mis-" The first girl ignored her words and clenched her sword before making a dash at Naruto. The blonde boy once again dodged her strike but cursed as he felt it almost take his arm off. He couldn't defend himself effectively if he was carrying Tsuki and trying to protect her as well. He leapt back, putting considerable distance between him and his assailant. He spawned a shadow clone and passed his sister to it.

The girl watched as Naruto faced her, an irate look in his eyes. "I don't know what you're doing here, but you won't lay a finger on Lady Naminé!" she shouted. Lightning began to spark wildly around the blade of her katana and she sprinted at Naruto once more. "No, Hikari-chan stop this right now!" Naminé shouted. Her cry fell on deaf ears as she watch her grandson run at her as well. Naruto didn't exactly feel like fight at the moment but he had to do something lest he fancied having his head taken off.

The distance between then grew shorter and shorter and he needed away to counter her. Normally he'd just use his sword but it was nowhere in sight ad he couldn't spawn it unless he actually had visual contact with it. "Let's see you dodge this!" the girl roared as she lunged at Naruto. The blonde countered with the first thing that came to mind. "_**Chidori!" **_golden light burst forth from Naruto's hand as lightning began to dance around his fingertips.

He grabbed her sword with his lightning-covered hand, much to the girl's surprise. With his chakra protecting his hand, Naruto yanked the katana from her grasp and slammed a shoulder into her. She was winded and as she fell, she felt something push down on her shoulder. "Naruto-kun don't!" the blonde heard his grandmother's plea and stopped almost immediately. The girl finally regained her bearings and gasped at the sight before her.. Naruto was kneeling over, pushing down on her shoulder with one hand and holding her katana mere inches from her face with his other.

Naruto glanced up to see his grandmother running towards them. He slowly rose to his feet and slammed the sword into the ground. Naminé came to a stop a few feet away. "Thank you Naruto-kun," She said between breaths. "An old lady like me doesn't need this kind of heart rush," she said as she held her rapidly beating heart.

"Lady Naminé, I don't understand. Do you know this boy?" the other girl queried.

"As matter of fact, I do. Girls do you remember when I told you a couple months ago that I'd have some family coming soon?" Naminé asked them.

"Yeah, something about a long lost grandson…" the first girl said. She glanced between the older blonde and younger blonde and something clicked in her mind. "Oh my god…"

"Yes Hikari-chan, this is Naruto. The last of the Namikaze and my grandson," Naminé told them. "Naruto-kun, meet Hikari-chan and Hibiki-chan. Think of them as my bodyguards. They tend to get a bit eccentric at times," she chuckled.

"Lady Naminé, Naruto-sama, please forgive Hikari's behavior. She meant no harm," Hibiki said as she bowed before Naruto. Hikari bowed before him as well. "Forgive me Naruto-sama, I wasn't aware," she said. Naruto finally caught a glimpse of their features and they were indeed twins. They had long, black wild hair and soft golden eyes. They both wore the same uniform he'd seen the other kunoichi wearing, which he assumed was they're standard attire, and they had they're head bands tied around their slender waists. They were identical in every since of the word. There was only noticeable difference in there appearances that he could find and that was their bust sizes. _'Great…I'm becoming like Jiraiya' _Naruto thought morbidly.

"We're sorry, we're sorry, we're sorry," Hibiki and Hikari pleaded.

"No stop, you don't have to do this…" Naruto said as he scratched his head. He wasn't exactly comfortable with someone groveling before him at his feet like that.

"It's just that we heard rumors of a man attacking the village earlier and we thought…" Hibiki said trailing off.

"I understand, you were just doing your job. No fault in that," Naruto said. Hikari was about to speak when a loud smack was heard and she fell to the floor clenching her head, Hibiki following soon after. "You girls are always causing trouble," a woman's voice said. Naruto watched as a woman phased into existence behind the trembling twins. She dark skin like those of the Hidden Cloud and long, jet black hair. She wore bikini top underneath a hooded shawl that wrapped around her shoulders. A sarong was buckled around her waist and she wore leather knee-high boots to complete her all black attire. "Was that really necessary Yahan?" Naminé asked.

"Yes milady. They must learn that they can't just go around acting on impulse and attacking everyone they perceive as a threat. What if they had ended up actually hurting Naruto-sama?"

"I'm fine really…" Naruto said.

"We're sorry, Yahan-sensei! We thought Lady Naminé was in trouble. We didn't know Naruto-sama was her grandson," Hibiki said. The dark-haired woman let out a heavy sigh. "You girls need to work on reading the situation better. If Naruto-sama wasn't skilled, this whole thing could've ended very badly," she scolded.

"Don't be so hard on then Yahan, they were just doing what they thought was best. You can't fault them for that," Naminé said.

"But Lady Naminé, their behavior was inexcusable. They could've-"

"But they didn't. Naruto-kun is fine and no one got hurt. That's all that matters. No harm, no foul," the elderly blonde said. Yahan looked as if she was about to protest again but decided against and offered a humble bow instead. "Yes milady." She turned her attention to the taller blonde who was standing a few feet away with an indifferent expression. "Naruto-sama, it is an honor to meet you. My name is Yahan and I'm Lady Naminé's guardian. Please forgive the actions of my students. They still have a long ways to go," she offered a bow.

"Uh no, it's fine really. They were just doing their jobs," Naruto said as he scratched his head. He was a bit uncomfortable with them being so courteous towards him. Never in his life had he been shown such respect so this was all new to him. _'This has been such a long day. I just want to go lie down and pass out somewhere…' _Naruto mused as he let out a tired yawn.

"See? Naruto-kun is just fine. Though I suspect he's tired and a young boy like him needs his rest, especially if he's going to make it through tomorrow," Naminé said. "Come now Naruto-kun, I'll show you to your room," the elder blonde said as she walked off.

"Yes ma'am," the younger blonde sighed as he took his sister's sleeping form and followed his grandmother down the hall. "It was nice meeting you all," he called over his shoulder before they turned a corner.

"Hey Hikari…" Hibiki said as she watched the blond trio disappear.

"Yeah?"

"Against Naruto-sama, were you holding back?"

"No…I gave it everything I had…"

"Interesting…" Yahan said. She had watched the blonde effortlessly counter her student's assault and it had piqued her curiosity. _'Naruto-sama appears to be well trained. And that move he used…I wonder if it's…'_

"Naruto-sama must be strong," Hibiki mused.

"It would seem so," Yahan said. "We shall see tomorrow. Now for your punishment," she said turning to her pupils. The twins shot her incredulous and disbelieving looks. "What? You didn't think you could attack Lady Naminé's grandson and the _last Namikaze _and get away scot-free did you? Now off to the training ground with you. I want two hundred wind sprints," Yahan commanded, ignoring the groans of her apprentices.

* * *

><p>Well that wraps up yet another chapter.<p>

I had originally planned to put Hibiki, Hikari, and Yahan (All of which are from Sekirei) in here, but around that time I got the idea for _Thunder Maidens_ and decided to give them their own story. But I had incorporated them into the future story line and figured I'd just leave it as is. Don't really feel like trying to rethink it. Besides, I think it'll be more amusing with them in there. And before anyone asks, Naruto's pairing is _**STRICTLY**_ Shizuka. I capitolized, boldeded, and italicized that so there should be no misconceptions, but I'm sure I'll get a few that are going to ask anyway.

On a last note, if anyone has any questions, comments, concerns, or you just want to point out grammar/spelling errors (which I highly encourage) feel free to PM me. And just as a heads up, Naruto Ultimate Ninja Storm 3 comes out next week so there _might _be a slowdown in production. Sorry but I've been waiting on this for _forever _ and I'm really excited.


	21. Sasuke Chronicles II

**Hits: 83,525**

**Favs: 346**

**Alerts: 338**

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter XXI: Sasuke Chronicles II: Confrontation<strong>

'_What the hell?' _Sasuke groaned. He opened his eyes only to immediately shut them again to block out the light. He shifted over until he no longer felt the rays of the sun trying to pry his eyes open. He slowly opened them and took in his surroundings. He was lying on a futon in a small room. His clothes were neatly folded in a pile next to him and his sword was propped up against the wall in a corner. _'This is the hotel. How did I get here?,' _He mused as he rose to a sitting position. He winced lightly as a sharp pain shot through his abdomen. He glanced down to see the lower half of his torso was wrapped in bandages. It was then the memories came flowing back to him. _'That kid…to believe he pushed me to such extremes…' _Sasuke thought. _'In his childish endeavor to seek revenge he was put in his place. His vengeance is nothing compared to mine. I must find Itachi!'_

Biting back the pain, Sasuke slowly rose to his feet. He reached down and picked up his hip pouch. He rummaged around inside for a moment before pulling out a blue scroll. He unraveled it and channeled his chakra into the third seal. A small puff a smoke erupted from the parchment and quickly dispersed to reveal a dark grey garb. Sasuke tossed the scroll onto the futon before slipping on the shirt. It was identical to his last only it had no sleeves and the Uchiha crest was slightly larger. He then picked up the thick sarong and wrapped it around his waist before securing it in place with the lavender rope. He reached into his pouch again and pulled out another scroll, much to his surprise. _'What's this?"_

Sasuke unraveled the red scroll and found a sealing formula. Cautiously, he channeled some chakra into the seal and a puff of smoke burst forth. It cleared away a short moment later to reveal a pair of black sandals. They were identical to his own only upon closer inspection he found complex seals written on the soles of each sandal. _'What the hell are these?'_ Sasuke mused. He looked back to the scroll and found a note written further down the scroll.

_Sasuke,_

_Hope you don't mind but I slipped these into you're pouch. I call them Harbingers. By channeling chakra into the seals you can place an explosive seal on anything your foot touches. No one would ever suspect it and it'd be a great way to catch an enemy off-guard. Besides, think of the intimidation factor: seeing someone walking around literally leaving behind a path of destruction in his wake. Anyway just a part gift so make sure you come back alive. Tsuki won't forgive you if you don't!_

_Always one step ahead of you,_

_Naruto_

A small smile graced his features as he read the note. He had to remind himself to put the blonde in his place the next time he saw him. Sasuke rolled the scroll back up and tossed it aside before glancing at the sandals. _'Leave it to Naruto to come up with something like these,' _He thought before slipping them on. They fit perfectly. He reached down into his pouch once more and pulled out a pair of violaceous bracers. He looked over the sealing formula for his _**Lightning Flash Blade Creation **_technique before slipping them on his wrists. He reached into his pouch one last time and pulled out a roll of white bandages. He wrapped it around his forehead before wrapping up both his wrists, effectively hiding both armbands from sight. He walked over to his sword and secured it on to his waist. He walked back over to the futon and picked up the scroll he'd unsealed his shirt out of. He channeled chakra into the second seal and a puff of smoke burst forth again before dispersing to reveal a black cloak.

He rolled the scroll back up before placing it back inside his pouch and securing it to his waist. Sasuke emerged from the room and found the hotel to be silent. He made his way down the hallway until reached the foyer where a clerk sat at the front desk. He wordlessly placed some money on the counter before making his way towards the front door. As he drew nearer he heard the muffled yells of a woman's voice. He slid open the door to the hotel and had to briefly shield his eyes from the sun. After they adjusted to the light, he glanced around and saw his team beneath a tree. Jūgo was leaning against the trunk of the tree, arms crossed and eyes shut. Suigetsu was lazily reclining against the base of the tree with his hands wrapped behind his head, his sword lying on the ground at his side. And naturally, Karin was hovering over him, lecturing him about something or another while the silver-haired teen paid her no mind. As he walked closer, Karin's irate shrieking began to form into comprehensible words. "And another thing! You need to-"

"Karin, Jūgo, Suigetsu…"

Karin stopped yelling and turned to see Sasuke approaching them. He slung his cloak onto his shoulders before coming to a stop before his team. "Sasuke-kun you're alright! I was so worried!" Karin exclaimed. "Look who finally decided to wake up," Suigetsu said lazily as he rose to his feet. "Shut it Suigetsu!" the red head roared as she slammed her fist into the water-nin's face, causing it to liquefy. "Damn it! That is so annoying!"

"Enough!" Sasuke said sternly. He hadn't even been awake ten minutes yet and they were already starting to give him a headache. "We're moving out. We need to find a lead on Itachi," He said. Karin looked at him incredulously. "So soon? Sasuke-kun you're hurt! You should be resting!" she argued. She flinched when he turned to her, his Sharingan blazing in all its glory. "I don't have time for that! I've done enough waiting and the time has now come for Itachi to die. Only through death will he pay for his sins!" He barked. Sasuke saw the fear in her eyes and caught himself. He quelled his anger and slipped on his hood. "Same formation as yesterday. I'll be on channel 321.0." He said as he walked off. Karin only watched his retreating figure as he slowly drew father away. _'Sasuke-kun…'_

* * *

><p>Sasuke quietly made his way down the path as he continued to trudge through the forest. He and his team had split up just an hour ago and they haven't been able to come across any clues yet. He was growing more frustrated by the minute. All the time he'd spent training, growing stronger and perfecting his skills, had prepared him for this moment; a moment that just seemed to keep evading him as time passed on. <em>'Damn it! Was it all for nought?!' <em>He was pulled from his thoughts when he felt a presence in the shrubbery. Two shuriken found their way to his hand and he launched towards a nearby tree. Two dull thumps were heard as the metallic stars sunk into the bark of the tree. Nothing happened at first, but a short moment later, a flock of crows emerged from the higher branches. They all screeched loudly as they flocked together before Sasuke. He watched on as the crows came together and began to take the form of a person. Sasuke's eyes hardened at the man who'd materialized before him.

"Itachi," he ground out, his eyes narrowing as his Sharingan spun to life. The older Uchiha watched impassively as his younger brother grew tense before him. "You've gotten taller," Itachi said, taking in his brother's new appearance. "And you haven't changed a bit, cold eyes and all," Sasuke muttered as he stared down his sibling. Beneath his cloak, his hand found its way to the hilt of his sword. Itachi seemed to notice the small movement. "Do you plan on attacking as recklessly as you did last time?" he asked. Memories of that time three years ago sprang forth in Sasuke's mind. He was young, stupid and reckless. He believed that by becoming slightly faster and learning a new jutsu made him strong enough to take on his brother. It was a fool's errand and he paid dearly for it. "You don't know anything about me," Sasuke replied, narrowing his eyes. Itachi's eyes widened for a moment and he glanced to the side but it was too late. A spear of lightning was already manifesting in Sasuke's extended hand. The spear elongated and pierced cleanly through Itachi's torso before the tip embedded itself in the trunk of a tree. _'He's gotten much faster...' _Itachi mused.

Sasuke stared at his brother's impaled form, completely at his mercy. "All the hatred I hold inside of me…and the strength I've gained because of it…" He began. His eyes hardened. "You don't know shit about me!" Sasuke twisted lightning spear in his hands and the effects were instantaneous. Multiple spikes erupted from Itachi's body, piercing him all over. The older Uchiha could only gasp as his body was impaled from within. Sasuke watched as blood flowed out of his brother's body and sloshed to the ground below, collecting in a dark crimson puddle. He retracted the spikes a moment later before dissolving the spear completely. He watched as the missing-nin's body fell to the dirt.

Sasuke approached his brother's crippled form. His body was littered with hole and a constant flow of blood gushed from his wounds. Itachi looked up at his sibling's form towering over him. "You've grown strong…" He said, a small stream of blood trickling from his mouth. Sasuke said nothing as he gazed upon his brother's dying form. Before he could react, Itachi's body began to distort and fluttered away in a flock of crows. The swarm of birds dispersed and began to circle the skies, squawking loudly as they hovered above Sasuke. "Come to the Uchiha hideout alone. We'll settle this there," Itachi's disembodied voice echoed throughout the pathway. The crows soon began to evaporate into thin air, leaving behind a storm of black feathers in their wake.

'_Genjutsu…figures. At least now I have a lead,' _He thought as he brought his hand up to his radio. "Form up on my position. We're moving out," he spoke into the transceiver. "What happened? Did you find something?" he heard Jūgo's voice over the radio. "Yeah. We're heading for Fire Country," He said as he began walking towards the direction of his homeland.

* * *

><p>All was silent in the forest. Team Hebi sailed through the treetops as they made their way across Fire Country. They came across a small abandoned village where the trees overtook the crumbling buildings, bursting through the old stone to reach the precious energy given off by the rays of the sun. They dashed across the old rooftops until Karin felt a disturbance. "Guys, there's an incredible chakra coming towards us, and fast!" She called out. A second later, a figured flashed into existence before them. Sasuke and his team halted as the man before them stood in their path. "Sasuke-kun, if you would, please continue by yourself. It's Itachi's orders. The rest of you are more than welcome to wait here," he said. Suigetsu's eyes narrowed at the man before him. He had a distinctive shark-like appearance, complete with pale blue skin. He had spiky blue hair that stood on end, small, round, white eyes, gill-like facial and a feral grin that revealed his sharp triangular teeth. "You're…"<p>

"Kisame Hoshigaki," Sasuke said. The ex-Kiri swordsman stood before them atop an old wooden post for communications lines. His sword, Samehada, was slung over his shoulder. Karin's eyes narrowed. "That's fine. We're only traveling as a team to prevent others from interfering," Sasuke replied. Karin's gaze shift from the missing-nin to the boy beside her. "Sasuke, you shouldn't. Let's take him down and go in together!" Kisame's grin widened upon hearing that. "I had no intention of fighting…but if you insist upon going with him, I'll show no mercy."

Everyone tensed at his words but Sasuke didn't seemed fazed one bit. He knew that the man before him was no push over. The fact that he wore the cloak of the Red Dawn was a testament to that. With chakra levels rivaling that of the tailed beasts and a sword that ate chakra, Kisame Hoshigaki was no pushover. A fight with him would be drawn out considerably and he didn't have that kind of time. "Karin…stay put. This is _my_ vendetta." Before anyone could protest, he shot forth and leapt past Kisame, the large men doing nothing to stop him. Sasuke continued on, deeper into Fire Country as he made his way towards his clan's hideout.

Kisame glanced over his shoulder at the retreating figure of the young Uchiha before turning back to the trio before him. "Kisame Hoshigaki…and the great sword Samehada…" Suigetsu said, his eyes locked on the man. The shark man's eyebrow rose at the declaration. "Hm?"

"Have you forgotten me?" Suigetsu asked. "I'm Suigetsu Hozuki, Mangetsu Hozuki's younger brother. Kisame's beady eyes seemed to widen in realization. "Oh ho ho…I didn't recognize you Suigetsu-kun. My how you've grown!" A grin spread across the younger water-nin's face. "I don't really feel like waiting around till Sasuke gets back…" he said as he drew the Executioner's blade from his back. "How about we have a little fun and kill some time, eh Kisame-senpai?" Kisame smirked at the silver-haired teen. "Unlike your brother Suigetsu-kun, you're rather cocky, aren't you?" he said, dropping his zweihänder-type blade from is shoulder. "Maybe I'll grind you down a bit," he said as a feral grin spread across his features.

* * *

><p>Sasuke raced through the tree towards the Uchiha hideout. The thoughts of the upcoming battle plagued his mind. <em>'The time has finally come…all these years of training, growing strong, letting my hatred build and it's finally about to pay off. Today…is the day that Itachi will die!' <em>Sasuke unconsciously sped up his pace as he flew across the treetops.

_"You better not die! I still have to show how much better I am than you one day!"_

The small voice that surfaced in his mind caught him off-guard slightly.

"_Not Goodbye Sasuke, see you later!"_

Sasuke came to a stop on a tree branch. _'Naruto…Tsuki…' _His mind was flooded with memories of the blondes who'd managed to worm their way into his heart over the last three years. The countless hours he and Naruto trained together. Tsuki annoying the hell out of him with her childish pranks. The bonds he'd forged over that time, the precious memories. It wasn't what he expected to happen in the slightest. But it'd had and now he held them close to his heart. He had another reason to win. _'They might not be Uchiha, or have the Sharingan…but their family. For that reason alone, I will survive and I will kill Itachi!' _He thought to himself, hardening his resolve. But at the same moment a fleeting thought crossed his mind. _'But I can't help but wonder…how did things come to turn out this way?'_

* * *

><p><em>Sasuke kept running until he came across small clearing. There was a man standing there in front of a large boulder, his eyes closed. Sasuke ducked behind a tree as he continued to watch the man, who he immediately identified as his older brother. Itachi stood there a moment longer before completely disappearing from sight. Sasuke watched with wide eyes as Itachi reappeared suddenly, hovering above the clearing like a phantom. With well-rehearsed grace, the young ANBU twirled his body in the air, letting loose a barrage of kunai as he did. Sasuke tried to track the knives as they sailed throughout the clearing but all he could pick up were a few clangs from when they struck each other followed by the dull thumps of them sinking into the many targets that littered the area.<em>

"_Wow brother!" Sasuke gasped as he stepped out from behind the tree. "You hit every target, even the one in the blind spot behind the rock!" Itachi stood to his full height and open his eyes, his Sharingan activated. An eager Sasuke suddenly pulled out two kunai of his own. "Alright, my turn!" He exclaimed. "Sasuke," Itachi called out, catching his younger brother's attention. "It's time to go." The small Uchiha's shoulders slouched in disappointment. "You said you'd teach me a new shuriken jutsu today," Sasuke pouted._

"_I have an important mission tomorrow that I must prepare for," Itachi said simply. "You're a liar…you always say that!" Sasuke complained. A small smiled appeared on the young ANBU's features and he motioned for his brother to come. A bright smile lit up Sasuke's face as sprinted over to his brother's position. 'Big brother is finally going to teach me something!' As Sasuke drew nearer, Itachi brought his hand up. "Sorry, Sasuke," He said as he poked his brother on his forehead, halting his advance. "Ow," Sasuke cried out as he rubbed the afflicted area profusely. "Maybe next time," Itachi said. Sasuke glanced up at his brother with a defiant expression. "Watch this! I'll show you!" he exclaimed as he wielded his kunai once more. Itachi's eye's widened as he watched his brother run towards a nearby tree. "Hey! Don't be reckless!" he called out._

_A loud crash and the sound of branches snapping echoed throughout the forest. Itachi made his way over to the disorderly heap of sticks and leaves that covered his brother. Sasuke let out a groan and rubbed his head. "Did I do it right?" Itachi let out a sigh as he shook his head. 'At least he's alright.'_

"_Come on Sasuke. We need to be getting home soon. You start the academy tomorrow remember." Itachi said. Sasuke nodded and rolled over when an excruciating pain shot through his leg. "Ow!" the small Uchiha cried out. He glanced over his lower body and found the source of his discomfort. His left ankle was swollen. He looked up to Itachi with a pleading gaze. "I think I twisted it." Itachi let out another sigh. "It can't be helped…" he said as he kneeled down before his brother. "I guess I'll have to carry you home." Sasuke grinned as he climbed onto Itachi's back. "You're the best brother ever!" Itachi said nothing as he stood up and began the long walk back to the village._

* * *

><p>A lone figure sat in a stone chair in the middle of the giant room. "My foolish little brother…" he whispered as he stared off into space. He reminisced on the few memories he shared with his brother. Sasuke used to stick to him like white on rice. And now…he strove to end his very existence. He could only blame the Uchiha for the current situation developed into. They're arrogance and greed for power it was brought about their downfall and the reason Itachi had taken the steps he did. It was why his own little brother despised his very existence. But it was all for the sake of the village. He literally gave up <em>everything<em> for the sake of the Hidden Leaf's safety.

His thoughts suddenly shifted to his younger brother. He could only imagine the strife he'd put him through. But it was all for the greater good. With his death, Sasuke would not only become stronger, but he himself would be able to finally atone for his sins. The ends justify the means. The Uchiha's body was soon racked by a series of violent coughs. A splotch of blood escaped Itachi's mouth and he watched it splatter on the cold stone. _I don't have much longer…'_

Itachi shifted his gaze towards the rooms opening, feeling the presence before it could even make itself known. "That Sharingan…How much can you actually see?" He asked, his voice carrying on into the darkness. "How much can I see?" the shadows answered. "I'll tell you what I see. I see your death…Itachi," Sasuke said as he materialized before his brother.

* * *

><p>Sorry for the short update this week. I'm not sure how long the fight will be and I don't plan on writing another chapter 11 anytime soon. Any who, were back to Sasuke and I'm going to follow him for the next 2-3 chapters (If all goes well...) I'll try to have out the next next when as soon as I can. Like always, R+R and let me know what you think!<p> 


	22. Sasuke Chronicles III

**Hits: 89,067**

**Favs: 366**

**Alerts: 357**

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter XXII: Sasuke Chronicles III: Atonement<strong>

"My death huh?"

Itachi stared impassively at his sibling, unfazed by his words. "How can you see my death when you lack these eyes?" Itachi queried as his Mangekyō spun to life. "Without this, you have no chance of winning Sasuke."

The younger Uchiha merely snorted. "My Sharingan is just fine the way it is. I don't need the Mangekyō to defeat you." Itachi shook his head. "Little brother of mine...foolish as always. I thought you were ready but I guess I was wrong. You disappoint me Sasuke." The raven-haired teen's eyes narrowed. His brother was completely writing him off, just like that night eight years ago. "You think you can just go about without paying for what you've done? You will atone for your sins and I'll be your harbinger to the Yomi itself!" Sasuke shot forth, his sword materializing in his hand. He lunged at his brother's heart but the moment cold steel met flesh, Itachi burst into a flock of crows.

"Sloppy." A disembodied voice said next to his ear. A moment later he felt someone grip fiercely onto his shoulder. Before Sasuke could react, Itachi flipped over him and using all his strength and momentum, he flung his brother across the room. Sasuke sailed through the air for a few second before gathering his bearings once more. He flipped and skidded to a stop a good distance away from his opponent. Reacting on pure instinct, he brought his sword in front of him, just barely blocking Itachi's kunai. The two siblings tried push back the other with their blades as their eyes met in a deadlock, one's cold and emotionless while the other's burned with a fiery passion that wasn't enough to do his rage justice.

Itachi suddenly felt the air around him become saturated with static as his brother's voice reached his ears. "Chidori Nagashi!" Itachi immediately leapt back, just in time to avoid the field of lighting chakra that erupted around Sasuke. Itachi formed three quick hand signs and he inhaled deeply. "Fire-Style: Fireba-" his attack was interrupted as he felt something cold and sharp pierce his heart. He crashed to the ground a moment later. He looked up into Sasuke's intense eyes and the boy drove the blade deeper into his chest cavity. "I'll have to admit, you are much faster than you were before and I didn't notice when you swapped with a shadow clone," Itachi spoke. "But..." His sentenced trailed as he pointed his finger behind him. Sasuke's gaze followed the small appendage only to see Itachi sitting in the stone chair once more, completely unharmed. "It's not enough."

Sasuke watched as the Itachi beneath him phased into the shadows. "Hide behind your genjutsu all you want, it doesn't change the fact that you'll die today," Sasuke said as he rose to his full height. That uncaring look the older Uchiha was giving him was really starting to piss him off. "What then Sasuke? What do you plan on doing once you killed me off?" Itachi questioned. "I'll fix what you destroyed. I'll rebuild the Uchiha from the ground up and bring it back to its former glory." Itachi sighed as he listened to his brother's words. _'That's exactly what got us in this situation you fool...'_

"Sasuke...there are greater forces at work here. You think everything will just go back to normal if you kill me? You really are nothing more than a child," Itachi berated him, causing a low growl to escape Sasuke's throat. "There's a storm coming Sasuke and even if you manage to kill me you'll won't get very far without this," Itachi's said gesturing to his eye.

"I know all about the Mangekyō. True it might offer untold power but power like that come's at a price..." Itachi inhaled sharply as pain shot through his chest. He glanced down to see the bloodied tip of a sword extending out of his torso. "And I don't plan on losing my eyes anytime soon," Sasuke finished and he clinched his sword, driving it deeper into his brother's heart. Itachi watched as the Sasuke before him flickered out of existence before letting out a sigh.

"You're right. The Mangekyō does come at a hefty price and I can already feel mine losing it's light. But that's why you're here. There's a way to get around it's adverse effects. By taking the eyes of a blood relative, one can unlock an even stronger Mangekyō, one that no matter how many times it's used, it'll never lose it's light: The Eternal Mangekyō Sharingan." Sasuke only scoffed at his words. "I figured you'd be going blind by now but there's no chance in hell you'll get my eyes. Unlike your blind one ones, mine see clearly..." A Chidori sparked to like in his hand and he shot it behind him. Itachi lazily leaned his head to the side, dodging the spear of electricity that nearly pierced his skull. "And I can see through your illusions!"

Itachi stared at his brother. "So it seems you can. Then I won't beat around the bush any longer." Itachi's body flickered for a moment before Sasuke suddenly caught glimpse of a metallic glint in his peripheral vision. He flipped backwards as the kunai narrowly missed him and tore though his cloak. The moment he landed, Sasuke felt something powerful slam into his chest and he was sent reeling backwards. He crashed into the wall, embedding himself in a crater that sent spiderweb-like cracks sprawling outward from the point of impact. He didn't even have time to process what happened when he felt his left arm pinned above his head and another force slam into his solar plexus, winding him completely. Sasuke a silent scream escaped the Uchiha. Sasuke wearily opened his eyes only to meet his brother's gaze. His eyes widened when he saw his hand reaching towards his face. "Your eyes...they're mine now Sasuke."

Before he had a chance to object, Itachi skillfully plunged his fingers into his brother's eye socket and removed the organ. Sasuke's scream was the only sound heard in the old bunker. Itachi dropped Sasuke's left eye into a jar filled with a green liquid that was latched onto his hip before turning back to his brother. "And now for the other one..." Sasuke began to panic as he saw Itachi reaching for his remaining eye._ 'No...I have to stop him! This can't be how it ends! I won't let it!'_ Sasuke thought as his Sharingan pulsed and the world around him began to shift and contort.

* * *

><p>Sasuke was sweating and panting heavily as he tried to catch his breath. He was glaring at Itachi and he could sworn he saw the briefest expression of shock appear on his features. As Sasuke suspected, Itachi was in a state of disbelief but he'd schooled his features to prevent it from showing.<em> 'He actually managed to break Tsukuyomi...he really has grown. Genjutsu would be pointless from this point on...'<em> He thought. "You're the first and only first to ever break free from Tsukuyomi. "Sasuke finally steadied his breathing and decomposed himself. "Like I said before, my eyes see through your illusions." Sasuke shrugged off his coat and tossed it to the side. He carefully unwrapped the bandages around his forearms, just enough to reveal the seals on his bracers. He summoned chakra into his fingertips as he tapped the seals and two shuriken spawned into his awaiting hands.

Itachi saw this and readied himself. In a blur, Sasuke flung the two shuriken at Itachi, only for them to be met with two kunai. But he didn't stop there. He kept summoning more and more shuriken and launched them forward the moment they came into existence. The two brothers were once again locked in a gruesome stalemate as they rained down steel on one another. They expertly evaded the few that managed to slip through all the while continuing their assault. _'This is going nowhere fast,'_ Sasuke thought and he dodged a kunai aimed at his head. The next time he touched one of the seals, a demon wind shuriken appeared in his hands. Itachi pulled out another kunai as he when he saw the large glowing shuriken fly towards him. He went to block it only to realize his error after it was too late._ 'He reinforced it with Chidori!'_ Itachi was helpless as it sliced cleanly through his kunai and tore into his shoulder.

The sound of footsteps and chirping birds reached Itachi's ears and he looked up to see Sasuke running straight at him, lightning chakra emitting from his left hand. _**"Fire Style: Dragon Flame Bullet!" **_A massive fireball that took the shape of a dragon's head exploded from Itachi. He leapt back and waited for Sasuke to dodge to the side so he could find an opening only it never happened. Instead, he watched as his fireball was dispersed as a glowing blue cyclone ripped through it. _'That's the Inuzuka's Piercing Fang Technique!' _Itachi mused.

Sasuke slid to a stop and immediately began forming hand signs. _**"Fire Style: Dragon Tempest Jutsu!" **_A stream of flames began to spill from Sasuke's mouth and it circled around him in a blazing inferno before settling into the form of a celestial dragon. Itachi looked with wide eyes at the fiery beast his brother had just conjured. _'What technique is this!?' _Sasuke smirked when he saw his brother's expression. That Kira kid might have been a weakling, but he had to admit he made one hell of a technique. "Burn in hell!" The dragon burst forth at amazing speeds, locking onto Itachi's position. Itachi formed three quick hand signs as he evaded. _**"Fire Style: Fireball Jutsu!" **_he expelled the fireball and it crashed into the dragon's side. He was surprised to see that it looked completely unaffected. The dragon turned around and came straight at him again.

He dodged its attack once more but the moment it passed by him, Sasuke suddenly appeared right in front of him. He was late to react and Sasuke drove his Chidori-infused blade into his shoulder. Sasuke placed a foot on Itachi's abdomen and with a powerful kick, he sent the older Uchiha sailing across the room. Itachi bounced across the floor a few times before he slammed into a wall. A pained grunt escaped him. He spit out a glob of blood that was pooling in his mouth as he tried to stand again, only he found he couldn't. The lightning chakra had disrupted the nerves in his muscles, leaving him temporarily paralyzed. He looked up to see Sasuke standing there with a smug face as the fiery beast floated around him. "The time has finally come Itachi…now die!" The dragon let out a fierce roar before charging at the defenseless Uchiha. _'This isn't good…looks like I'll have to use it…' _Itachi thought as he closed his right eye. Time around him seemed to slow as the dragon drew nearer and blood began to trickle forth from his eye. When the beast was a mere five feet away, his eye shot open. _**"Amaterasu!"**_ Black flames suddenly manifested in front of him and formed a protective wall. The dragon crashed into the wall of flames head on but it was soon engulfed in the ethereal fire. Sasuke watched on in surprise as his technique was snuffed out by the flames surrounding his brother.

'_Damn it! He used Amaterasu…' _He thought as he watched the black flames dispersed and he locked eyes with his brother. Sasuke felt the air around him heat up suddenly and he jumped backwards just in time to evaded the black flames that had spawned on his position. He back peddled a few more feet before completely turning and making a run for it as the dark fire chased after him. Sasuke ran all over the stony bunker making his best effort to shake Amaterasu's flames, but no matter what he tried, they continued to lock onto his position. '_I'm finished if I they touch me. I need to get out in the open. Running around in circles is getting me nowhere,' _Sasuke thought as he ran up one of the walls. When he made it halfway up, he leapt towards the ceiling, spawning a Chidori as he did.

Sasuke burst through the old stone and rolled onto the roof. The black flames shot past him, and continued into the sky. Sasuke watched as they climbed into the sky before dispersing. An idea sprang into his mind as he watched the clouds begin to stir. Forming a rapid series of hand signs, Sasuke took a deep breath. _**"Fire-Style: Dragon Flame Bullets!" **_They sky around the Uchiha compound lit up as five massive fireballs shot into the clouds. Sasuke collapsed to his knees as he let out a shaky breath. He had used a considerable amount of chakra to break out of Tsukuyomi and that had just drained the small amount he had left.

He heard the sound of birds flocking and looked up to see Itachi appear on the other side of the roof. He was clutching the wound on his shoulder and staring at him with an impassive expression. "I told you Sasuke, without the Mangekyō, you cannot hope to defeat me." A dark chuckle escaped the younger Uchiha. "I don't need it. I've fed my hatred and gained power. And now I'll settle this. Right here and now…You will die Itachi." Dark clouds began to hover over the area and soon rain began to fall. It started as a light shower before quickly escalating into a raging downpour. "This will be my last jutsu…and unfortunately for you, it can't be evaded," Sasuke said as gazed at the black clouds. Itachi's eyes narrowed at the declaration. "You can't fool me Sasuke. The Sharingan can assess chakra levels and you currently have none left. The smirk that appeared on the younger Uchiha's features unnerved him slightly. "That's the beauty of it. I don't need any…"

Sasuke used the little chakra he had left to summon forth lightning chakra to his hand. It wasn't nearly enough for a Chidori but it was perfect for the technique he had in mind. Sasuke gracefully flipped up the tall outer wall of the complex. When he came to the top he glanced down at his brother. Another smirk crossed his features as he held his hand to the sky. Itachi watched on intently, trying to decipher what his brother was planning. He watched with interest as the blackening clouds began to circle the sky above Sasuke's position. The sound of thunder rolling across the sky echoed throughout the valley as lightning shot across the sky. A bolt of lightning lashed out from the sky and struck Sasuke's awaiting hand. "This jutsu guides the lightning down from the heavens. I only need to direct it. I call it…_**Kirin**_."

Itachi's eyes widened in horror as a massive beast made of lightning burst forth through the clouds. The demonic horse-like beast let out a deafening roar as its red eyes locked onto its target. _'What sort of jutsu is this!?' _Itachi thought as he stared up in wonder. "Now be gone…with the thunderclap!" Sasuke exclaimed as he brought his hand down. The beast let out a screeching roar as it shot out of the sky and crashed down on the Uchiha below. Itachi only had enough time to widen his eyes as a bright flash consumed the area. The old Uchiha bunker didn't stand a chance and blew up upon impact. A large pillar of lightning shot up into the sky as it disintegrated everything within its radius, leaving nothing alive.

* * *

><p>Sasuke was panting heavily as his gaze fell on the figure lying a few yards away. In the midst of the rubble of the Uchiha Hideout was Itachi's lifeless body lying face down in the dirt. Kirin had literally shattered the bunker and the small mountain it was built into. Sasuke let out a shaky breath as the electricity in his hand dissipated and his Sharingan retreated. "It's done…" He panted as he slumped to ground, just barely holding himself up with his arms. "It's finally over." The rain began to let up and the sun peaked out from behind the remains of the oppressive dark clouds.<p>

"_**Tell me…is this the death you had imagine for me…Sasuke?"**_

Sasuke's breath hitched and his eyes widened at the voice. He snapped his gaze up to see Itachi's body begin to stir. A scowl set upon his features as his Curse Mark flared out and covered his body, transforming him into the second stage. **"Damn you!" **Sasuke roared as he watched Itachi shakily rise to his feet. His eyes widened once more when he saw an orange ethereal skeleton slowly manifest around his brother's body. "You truly have gotten stronger…Sasuke," he said with a cough. "If I didn't have this, I would have most certainly died," Itachi admitted. His body was battered and blood was streaming from the corners of his mouth. His eyes were beginning to glaze over to the point where you could barely make out his Mangekyō. "Now allow me to show you my final trump card: _**The Susano**_."

Sasuke gazed on in horror at the skeletal figure that surrounded Itachi. The bones were soon covered in flesh and a daunting shroud wrapped around its body, further adding to its demonic appearance. It's left arm was covered by a giant shield while it's right arm had two hands. One was holding a gourd of some sort while the other was empty. Sasuke felt a chill creep up his spine as he gazed into its golden glowing eyes. "If you have any more tricks up your sleeve, now would be time to play them…Sasuke," Itachi said. The younger Uchiha growled as he drew his sword. Black lightning exploded from the hilt and completely engulfed the blade. It expanded outwards until it was nearly a foot wide and four feet long. _**"You bastard!" **_Sasuke roared as he rushed forward. He lashed out with the make-shift zweihänder blade only for it to be blocked by Susano's shield. After deflecting away Sasuke's attack, the gourd in Susano's right hand began to glow. A golden fluid began to spill out of the jar's opening and it shot out, taking on the shape of a sword.

'_So this is the power of the Curse Mark?' _Itachi mused as he watched his brother's demonic transformation. "You can not win Sasuke and now I will take your eyes. They will become my new light," Itachi said. Sasuke's eyes hardened as he rushed forward again. He went to attack again only to be blocked by Susano's shield once more. "This is the Yata Mirror. Nothing can break it's guard as it deflects _any _attack," Itachi said. Sasuke was overcome with blind fury at the moment and rather than trying to find a way around it, he opted to prove his brother wrong and go straight through it instead. Sasuke's slammed his sword against the shield repeatedly but none of his attacks seemed to scratch it in the slightest. In a final effort, he leapt up into the air and tried to drive his sword into it. The blade sparked wildly when it made contact and failed to leave a scratch. Susano thrust its arm forward, repelling Sasuke completely.

Sasuke slid to a stop a few meters away and looked up to see the flame-like blade crashing down on him. He quickly brought his sword up to block it and his guard was nearly shattered. The force of the blow caused a small crater to erupt and Sasuke felt as if his body would just flatten in any moment. He gasped when he saw the lightning chakra that powered his sword began to seep away. His eyes widened when he saw the glowing blade sucking away his chakra. Using all his strength, Sasuke deflected the blade away from his body. He jumped away just as it slammed into the ground, further expanding the first crater. "The Totsuka Blade. Anything it pierces is sealed away and trapped in a Genjutsu where it will wonder a drunken wasteland for all eternity. It can seal away anything…even chakra," Itachi explained.

Sasuke growled as he placed his sword back in its sheathe. His brings burst forth out of his back and he leapt into the air. Itachi watched as his brother climbed higher into the sky, curious about his motive. Sasuke reached the apex of his ascent and turned to face his brother. **"Just die already!"**He roared as he formed hand signs. _**"Fire style: Dragon Tempest Jutsu!" **_Sasuke exhaled a mass of flames that quickly took on the form of a dragon. The sound of chirping birds filled the air as he conjured a Chidori in each hand. Itachi's eyes widen as he watched his brother. _'So this is his conviction…Then I shall put it to the test.' _He mused. "No more running Sasuke. I'm going to finish this now."

Sasuke snorted at the proclamation. **"It's time to face judgment Itachi!"** He roared as he fell from the sky, the dragon following behind him. Sasuke began to spin rapidly until he was a cyclone of black lightning that screamed across the sky. Sasuke and the dragon began to swirl around each other as the descended. A bright tornado of red fire and black lightning formed just before Sasuke merged with the fiery entity. Itachi was surprised by the mass of destructive chakra that was falling towards him. "That could be a trouble…" he thought as the black flames of Amaterasu began to coat the surface of the Yata Mirror. The demonic beast let out a deafening roar as it crashed straight into Susano. Itachi grunted as he struggled to deflect the violent chakra that desperately tried to disintegrate him. While he was sure the Yata Mirror would hold up, the Susano would fall if his concentration waivered even in the slightest. If that happened, he would die for sure. It was proving increasingly difficult as darkness began to creep into his vision. _'I have to end this soon…'_

The air around Itachi began to glow and an ear-splitting explosion rang throughout the valley. Itachi waited for the light to clear and the dust to disperse. A few meters away, Sasuke was kneeling on the ground, breathing heavily. His shirt missing and his entire body was cover in bruises and a sheen layer of sweat. Sasuke was at his wit's end. He had used used up the extra chakra received from the Curse Mark in a that last attack and it was all for naught. Itachi went to speak but an intense pain shot through him. He grasped his chest as he expelled a violent series of coughs. Blood sloshed from Itachi's mouth as the coughing continued to rack his body. Sasuke watched on with wide eyes but what really caught his attention was that Susano was flickering, almost as if it was disappearing. _'Now's my chance!' _Sasuke quickly reached into his pouched and pulled out a kunai that had a wire littered with explosive tags attached to it. He slung the weapon at his brother's weakened form and watched as he was consumed in a fierce explosion. Sasuke stared intently as he tried to peer through the smokescreen that resulted. His eyes narrowed when he saw Itachi still standing there, protected by the Yata Mirror.

Sasuke let out a primal roar as he withdrew his sword. He tossed it into the air and using all his strength, he delivered a punishing roundhouse to the blade's hilt. The sword sailed through the air at an amazing velocity as it zeroed in on the older Uchiha. Itachi watched on with an unimpressed expression. _'It seems I was wrong…'_ he thought as he brought the Yata Mirror up once more. Just before the sword made contact, Sasuke suddenly appeared holding a bright ball of chakra in his hand. Itachi's eyes widened as he watched his brother slam the Rasengan into the hilt of his sword. _'Since when does he know one of the Yondaime's techniques!?' _

Sasuke was desperate now. It all came down to this last attack. He was completely out of chakra now and if the Rasengan didn't give his sword enough force to pierce through Itachi's shield then it was all over. He used all his strength to drive the rotating mass of chakra but it didn't feel like he was gaining any ground. The Yata Mirror held strong and the pressure on his sword from being crushed between a destructive force and an immovable object soon became too much. It started as hairline fractures and quickly escalated to rigid cracks that split the blade's surface. Sasuke gave it one last push and the Rasengan detonated. His blade shattered and he was sent reeling backwards by the force of the explosion. When Sasuke steadied his senses once more, he found himself buried into a wall a good ways off from Itachi. A sharp pain covered his chest and he glance down to see a few shards of his sword embedded in his torso. Panic soon set into Sasuke when he saw Itachi making his way towards him.

Itachi, still encased in the protective armor of Susano, slowly trudged along towards his brother's position. "They're my eyes…now give them to me…" He whispered. Sasuke tried desperately to move but every muscle in his body was screaming in pain. He was surprised he was still conscious at this point. His heart was beating faster and faster as Itachi drew nearer. _'No…this can't be how it ends…if only I was stronger!' _Sasuke's breath hitched when Itachi was finally in front of him, his arm outstretched towards his face. He was completely at his brother's mercy right now. Sasuke waited for the searing pain that was sure to come when Itachi ripped out his eyes. But it never came. Instead, Itachi placed two fingers on his forehead. Sasuke's eyes widened as Itachi spoke but he was too much in a state of shock to register what he was saying. Itachi's fingers slid down his face before slipping off his chin, leaving behind a trail of blood in their wake, as his body pitched forward. Susano let out a roar before evaporating completely. Itachi's head slammed into the wall and slid down its surface before finally slumping to the dirt.

Sasuke stood there breathing shakily as his mind tried to process what just happened. One moment Itachi was about to kill him, then he suddenly collapsed. He was so lost in thought he hadn't even noticed that it'd started raining again. Sasuke's gaze shifted down towards Itachi's motionless form. His vision began to warp and he felt light-headed. Sasuke's body lost all sense of balance and he suddenly pitched forward. _'It's…finally over…'_ That was his last thought before sleep's cold embrace took him. He was out before his body even hit the ground. Rain continued to saturate the valley as tears spilled forth from the heavens. It was almost as if someone were actually crying for the two brothers. Lightning streaked across the sky and a shadowy figure suddenly appeared, standing over their limp forms. It's glowing red eyes glanced over the Uchiha, one completely void of all life and the other close to knocking on death's door. A dark chuckle echoed throughout the area. "It guess it's about time I made my move…"


	23. Sasuke Chronicles IV

**Hits: 117,222**

**Favs: 449**

**Alerts: 444**

****So sorry for the delay guys. Well first off I found a beta. She seems pretty cool and I must thank the random person that recommended her. But anyway, I've had this chapter done for awhile and she said she wanted to read the story first before looking at this chap. But that was a week ago and I haven't heard anything from her since. I'm not sure exactly when we'll get in touch again so I decide to go ahead and upload. I read over it myself four times so hopefully I caught all the mistakes...maybe.

Anyway, here's here's the long await and final (well, at least for the moment anyway) chapter of Divine.

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter XXIII: Sasuke Chronicles IV: Even More Revelations<strong>

_'Uh my head...'_ Sasuke groaned, his head throbbing in pain as he slowly regained consciousness. He couldn't say for sure where he was or for how long he'd been asleep. The last thing he remembered was Itachi falling dead right before everything went black. He tried to open his eyes but pain shot through his head once more and he cringed. He felt soft fabric around him and something fluffy beneath his head. He slowly sat up, letting the sheets slide off his torso. He shakily brought his hands to his face to feel bandages wrapped around his head, covering his eyes. "Where the hell am I?" he groaned as he brought his hand to his forehead.

"Ah, it would seem you've awaken," a voice echoed throughout the room. Sasuke was immediately on alert as his head snapped towards where the voice originated. "Who's there? Show yourself!" he demanded. He only heard a dark chuckle as the voice seemed to draw nearer. "No need to be feisty young Uchiha. It's not like you can see me anyway," the voice said. It was dark, rather gruff, and just a tad bit menacing. "Where am I? And what have you done to me!?" Sasuke demanded. The voice only chuckled once more, causing a growl to escape the Uchiha.

"Fear not young master, I am not here to hurt you, only to help. As for our location, you're in a safe place...for now." Sasuke's eyebrow rose at the answer he received, the action causing pain to shoot through his eyes once more. "What's wrong with my eyes and why can't I see?" he queried as he held his throbbing head. He heard another irritating chuckle accompanied with the sound of shuffling feet. "You are rather lucky. When that sword of yours broke, shards were embedded all over your body, including tiny ones is your eyes. I managed to remove the shards in your chest but I could not salvage your eyes." Sasuke felt his "eyes" widen at the proclamation. "So you mean to tell me..." he left the question hanging, unable to finish it.

"Have been transplanted," the voice finished for him.

"Transplanted?" Sasuke echoed back.

"Yes, transplanted," the voice affirmed. "Yours were useless so I've given you new ones. It was a good thing your brother died when he did." Sasuke was caught by surprised but his brow quickly narrowed. "Just who are you? And how do you know about Itachi?" he spat. The voice only chuckled once more, which irritated the young Uchiha greatly.

"I know many things about your brother, many of which even you were left in the dark about. Such as the truth behind the events of that night and why he did the things he did."

"What the hell are you talking about!? Itachi was a traitor!" Sasuke barked.

"Was he?" the voice shot back, causing the Uchiha to flinch. "Your judgment has been clouded by thoughts of power and revenge for the last eight years so what could you possibly know?"

"S-shut up! Itachi was scum who betrayed the clan! He got what he deserved!" Sasuke heard a disgruntled sigh. "I don't have the patience to explain this to you. It's better if you saw with your own eyes." Before Sasuke could question the meaning behind those words, he felt his head grown heavy and his senses began to distort. _'What going on?'_ he thought as he felt himself slowly succumbing to the effects of the genjutsu.

* * *

><p>There was a knock on the door, the action causing a low sound to echo off the walls of the small room. The three occupants looked at each other and nodded before the head turned to the door. "Enter," he said in a low, commanding voice. The wooden door swung open to reveal a young boy with long dark hair pulled into a low ponytail that fell down his back. He had striking onyx eyes and deep tear troughs that ran beneath them. He was dressed in the standard uniform of the ANBU with a ninjato strapped to his back. He walked into the office and knelt before the elders. "Hokage-sama."<p>

_Sasuke was lost in a state of confusion. His eyesight had returned to him, but he couldn't feel anything. His other senses were shot. It was as if his consciousness was floating about aimlessly. "What the hell is this? What's going on?" Sasuke thought as he stared at the figures of the long deceased Third Hokage and his two advisors. There was another heavily bandaged old man he didn't recognize. "Shut up and watch," he heard the voice say. "If you can't see the truth with words, then you'll just have to see it with your own eyes." The voice was gone before Sasuke had a chance to object. He turned his attention back to the scene before him._

"Itachi, it has come to my attention that tensions between your clan and the rest of the village are on the rise. Would you agree?" Hiruzen asked the young ANBU."Yes Hokage-sama. I've noticed that some of my fellow clansmen are becoming increasingly violent and confrontational. The clan elders have also been meeting a lot more frequently as well," Itachi replied. The aging Hokage let out a sigh as he puffed on his pipe. "I see. Itachi I'm assigning you an important mission, B-rank in fact. Should you find any evidence of conspiracy or treason amongst the Uchiha, you are to report it to me immediately. This is a matter of village security. Do you understand the task given to you?"

"Yes Hokage-sama."

"Very well, you're dismissed." And with that the young ANBU phased out of sight.

"_I don't understand…Why would the Hokage have Itachi spy on the clan? And why would he agree to it?" Sasuke thought as he tried to find reason behind his brother's actions._

* * *

><p>"Big brother you're finally home!" a young Sasuke exclaimed as he slid around the corner to see Itachi coming through the front door. "Evening Sasuke," Itachi smiled at his brother as he slipped off his sandals. "Ne, ne, can you help me with my shuriken jutsu big brother?" Sasuke pleaded. "Sorry Sasuke, some other time. Why not have father train you?" a displeased frown spread across the younger Uchiha's features. "You're better than father at shuriken jutsu, even a little kid can see that!" he argued.<p>

"Sasuke!"

The small boy nearly leapt out of his skin at hearing his name called. He shakily turned around and felt himself turn white when he saw his father standing in the middle of the hallway. "Go clean up and get ready for dinner. Itachi I want to see you in my study," Fugaku said sternly. "But big brother was going to help me train!" Sasuke whined. No sooner than the words left his mouth he felt something flick his forehead. He looked up at his brother's smiling face just in time to see him pulling his hand back. "Sorry Sasuke, another time." Sasuke walked away rubbing his forehead while grumbling something incoherent about brothers and chronic liars.

After Sasuke disappeared around the corner, Itachi's expression turned serious and he followed his father into his study. Itachi closed the door behind him as they entered the small office. Fugaku crossed over to his desk while Itachi opted to stand in the middle of the room. An awkward silence permeated the air before Fugaku finally spoke. "Itachi…you serve as the Uchiha's pipeline to the village's nerve center. You know that, don't you?" he questioned as he stared out of the window. "Yes father," Itachi replied.

The older Uchiha let out a sigh as he brought his hand up to rest his head in his palm. "This village…everyday it pushes us away more and more, as if we were a disease. Ever since Madara left and the Nine-tails attacked, what little respected we still have continues to dwindle day by day. The Hokage was foolish to believe that setting us up on the outskirts of the village like this would keep the peace. He's just segregating us. But it is only a matter of time. Soon they will all see things the right way, the Uchiha way." Itachi remained silent as he listened to his father speak, only offering the occasional nod in agreement.

"_Wait…don't tell me father…the clan was plotting a coup!?" Sasuke queried as he finally pieced together the meaning behind his father's words._

* * *

><p>"It would seem we've failed again…" Hiruzen mused as he read over the letter from Fugaku. He'd been trying for several weeks to reach a compromise between them, but all of his attempts were shot down by the Uchiha head. The Hokage sighed as he let out an exhausted sigh. This whole situation with the Uchiha was taking a toll on him and he need to find a way to settle it, and fast. "I'm running out of ideas…"<p>

"Well there's one thing you haven't explored," a gruff voice said. The Hokage turned to his old war companion with a raised eyebrow. "And what would that be Danzō?" Hiruzen queried. "It's simple. Without an aggressor, there can be no aggressive acts. We just have to nip it in the bud before it gets out of hand," the old war hawk said simply. "Hiruzen was taken aback at what he was implying. "You don't mean…"

"Yes, that's precisely what I mean. The Uchiha Clan must be dealt with. If they won't act diplomatically then they must be taken out, simple as that." Danzō stated. The Hokage began to protest but stopped himself. What Danzō was saying was inhumane, but it wasn't unjustified. If he didn't do something soon, then this whole situation would get out of hand. "I'll take it into consideration…"

* * *

><p>Hiruzen was standing on the roof of the academy dressed in his Hokage robes staring out over the village. He took another puff on his pipe when he heard someone land behind him. "Hokage-sama." He turned around to see who was addressing him to see Itachi Uchiha kneeling before him. "Yes Itachi, what can I do for you?" he asked. "It's about my mission tonight."<p>

The Hokage stiffened at his words. It had been decided earlier that week that the Uchiha needed to be silenced and the task had fallen upon the young ANBU. Itachi had taken it upon himself to rid the village of his clan's ilk, feeling as if it was his responsibility and duty. Hiruzen wished he didn't have to resort to this, but there seemed to be no other way. It was for the good of the village and the ends justified the means. "I'd like to make a request," Itachi stated.

"What kind of request?"

"All I ask is that my younger brother Sasuke be spared. He is too young and does not know the truth behind our father's ambitions. I also ask that he be kept safe and that he never learns the truth behind these events. That is all," he stated. _'He's willing to bear such a heavy burden for the rest of his life, one of which I subjected him to. This is the least I could do for him.'_ The Hokage thought it over in his head. "It shall be done. Your brother will be kept safe from harm and will never learn of this. In fact, no one will. It will be classified a SS secret and only myself, Lord Danzō, and my advisors will has knowledge of it." He said. Itachi nodded before standing up to leave. "Thank you Hokage-sama. I'll be on my way now," he said turning to leave.

"I'm sorry Itachi," Hiruzen called out to him. "I'm sorry for placing such a heavy burden on your shoulders like this." Itachi only shook his head. "There's no need Hokage-sama. My clan brought this upon themselves I'm doing this so that the village can remain safe and continue to prosper. As long as Sasuke is safe, then I will carry out this task presented before me. I thank you for letting me serve the village Hokage-sama." And with that Itachi disappeared. Another sigh escaped the Hokage as he turned to face the monument. "What have I done?" he thought aloud as he gazed upon the stony faces of his predecessors.

* * *

><p>Sasuke was light headed as he felt himself return to his body. He was breathing ruggedly and his mind was a maelstrom of thoughts. <em>'I don't understand…why would the clan plot a coup!? Why did they have to be eliminated!? Why did they pick Itachi!? Why did he do it!?' <em>The questions ran one after another through his mind as he grasped his hair in frustration. "The Uchiha were corrupt. Their arrogance and self-entitlement alongside the scorn they built up from the village over the years led to their downfall. The Uchiha have fallen from grace. They're nothing like they used to be. It shames to me to think that the clan I serve has disgraced themselves so…" the mysterious voice came once more. But Sasuke paid it no mind. He was too busy sifting through the conflicting thoughts that were passing through his head at the moment.

"_**There is no value in killing you…My foolish brother…If you want to kill me…curse me! Hate me! And live a long and unsightly life…run away…run away and cling to your pitiful life."**_

'_Itachi was evil…the absolute scum of the clan…'_

"_**Being the best isn't all It's made out to be. When you're strong, you become arrogant and withdrawn. Even if what you sought after was your dream."**_

'_But at the same time…'_

"You know what the last thing he said to me was?" the voice asked. Sasuke only turned to face it to show he was listening. "Self-sacrifice…A nameless shinobi who protects peace within its shadow…That's a true shinobi." It said. "Your brother was the true epitome of a shinobi. In place of love, he accepted animosity. In place of honor, he accepted disgrace. He shouldered the burden of his sins and the hatred of the entire village in order to save it. His friends…family…and even his own lover. He killed them all to protect the village. But did it not ever occur to you why he couldn't kill his own little brother?"

Sasuke's breath hitched as realization hit him. His mind was flooded with fond memories of his childhood. All the times Itachi would play with him.

"_Hey big brother want to play hide and seek?" An excited Sasuke bounced back and forth as he watched his brother enter the house._

"_Sure Sasuke," Itachi smiled as he slipped off his sandals._

And the times they trained together…

"_Did you see that brother!? I finally did it!" Sasuke exclaimed._

"_Nice going Sasuke," the older Uchiha said proudly._

"_Neh, Can you help me with my shuriken jutsu now?"_

"_Sorry Sasuke…Another time." Itachi said, flicking his brother in the forehead._

But what struck him were Itachi's words he spoke the day before the massacre.

"_You and I are flesh and blood. I'm always good to be there for you, even if it's only as an obstacle for you to overcome. Even if you do hate me. That's what big brothers are for."_

Tears were falling freely from the teen's eyes by now._ 'It's true…Itachi's always been there. Even when it didn't seem like it…even when I thought I was alone…he was there…' _he thought, finally realizing his mistake. Itachi allowed himself to be manipulated by the hierarchy of the village for the sake of its selfish attempt at peace. And at the cost of his own happiness, his own clan, his own…humanity. _'Itachi…why?…why!?' _Sasuke screamed as he cried at the loss of his brother. The shadowy figure watched the trembling form of the last Uchiha and turned to leave, allowing the boy to grieve in peace. _'Now that that's out of the way I can move along with my plans.'_

* * *

><p>Sasuke stared ahead with dull eyes. He stood in front of a blotchy mirror, taking in his appearance. He was dressed in the same attire as his blonde friend, only his clothing was black as a soulless night and the rope around his waist was a bloody red. His shirt was zipped up completely and he let his hair hang loosely in front of his eyes. It had been almost a week since that day. The day he learned the truth of his beloved brother. '<em>Itachi…'<em>

The door to the room opened and the sound of footsteps followed shortly after. Sasuke lazily turned to see his visitor. In stepped a fox nearly as tall as him. It had dark grey fur, with a black ruff going across its torso. It had a long red mane spiked with black tips that reached down its back that narrowed into a teal bangle before spanning out again. It was armed with blood red claws on its paws and feet and a set of menacing teeth hidden behind its feral grin. "I see you are on your feet young master," It said.

Sasuke only turned back to the mirror. "What do you want?" he asked tonelessly. "It is time for us to move on. We have much to accomplish and so little time to do it in," it said simply. Sasuke turned to the shadowy creature, boring into its red eyes with his own onyx ones. "Just who are you exactly?" he queried. The fox's grin only widened. "As I have told you before, my name is Zoroark, and I am but a humble servant of your clan," it replied.

"What do you want with me?" Sasuke asked. The smirk on the fox's features was beginning to annoy him greatly. "There are many a things in which you are needed for young master. If you would but follow me, all will be explained. There is someone that you should meet," it said turning to leave. Sasuke stared at its back, his body not moving in the slightest. Zoroark sensed he wasn't being followed and glanced over his shoulder and his gaze met that of the stoic teen. "It also concerns Itachi-sama…" His smirk returned when he saw the young Uchiha show some form of expression for the first time in the last seven days. Feeling that he caught the boy's attention, Zoroark slipped out of the room. Sasuke stared at the open door with wide eyes. The mention of his brother was enough to catch his attention. _'This thing has information on Itachi…' _He knew it was against his better judgment, but something seemed to be drawing him in. He let out a sigh as he turned to grab his pouch off the bed and left the small room.

Sasuke slipped his pouch onto his waist as he made his way down a dark tunnel. He emerged from the hallway into a large room. He scanned the large chamber and noted how old and run-down the catacombs were. He saw Zoroark standing in the middle of the room next to a podium. He made his way to the podium where he found a black metallic armlet resting on its center. He eyed it curiously as Zoroark looked up at him. "This artifact has been a part of your clan for many years. It belonged to your first ancestors," he said seeing the curious glint in the teen's eye. Something compelled Sasuke to reach out for the armlet but he soon found his arm stopped and a furry paw gripped onto his wrist. "Careful Sasuke-sama, once you take it, there's no going back. Sasuke snatched his arm away and turned back to the ancient artifact. He made to grab it but just before he touched it, a slit on the side snapped open, revealing an eye. But it wasn't just any eye, it was a Sharingan. Before Sasuke could react, the Sharingan began to spin rapidly and he found himself growing faint. It wasn't long before he lost consciousness.

* * *

><p>Sasuke awoke with a start. He glanced around to survey his surroundings but found nothing but an endless white void. "What the hell was that? And where am I?" he asked as he rose to his feet. He felt a burning sensation on his forearm and looked to see the dark armlet wrapped around his left wrist. "I don't remember putting this on…" he mused.<p>

"Do you know why you are here?" an ethereal voice suddenly asked.

Sasuke tensed as his senses were put on high alert. "Who's there?" he queried as he scanned his surroundings. He clinched his fists as he continued to look around, ready for a fight to erupt at any moment. He caught something in his peripherals and his gaze snapped to it. The space before him began to shift slightly and a figure began to manifest. Sasuke took a precautionary step back as the figure began to take the shape of a person. Before him stood a young woman. She was dressed in the traditional attire of a Miko and he had silky hair that was black as night that flowed down her back. She had calm red eyes, nothing like the angry flare of the Sharingan that complimented the rest of her soft features. Other than his own mother, she was the most beautiful woman he'd ever seen. There just seemed to be this otherworldly glow about her. "Who are you?" he asked carefully.

"Fear not child, you have nothing to fear," she said, sounding a lot older than she looked. Sasuke was taken aback slightly but quickly schooled his features. "Where am I? What is this place?" he asked. "A safe place," she said simply. He was beginning to get annoyed at the generic answers she was giving him. Seeing the teen's exasperated expression the woman spoke again. "Do you know why you are here?"

"No, that's what I'm trying to figure out," Sasuke replied. It was then he noticed she had her hand raised, motioning him to come closer. "I don't have much time. Come, there is something you must see," she said. Sasuke was hesitant but found his feet slowly inching him forward. When he came within arm's reach of the woman, she gently laid her hand on his head, causing him to freeze. For the second time that week, Sasuke's mind was filled with memories that were not his. He saw nightmarish clouds and skies of never ending darkness accompanied with fiery plains littered with corpses that blanketed the land. Similar images continued to paint a picture in his mind until the woman removed her hand and he stumbled backwards.

"What the hell was that?" Sasuke asked, trying to control his rugged breathing. "That Sasuke was the past, present, and future of this world. As we speak, Susano is down in Yomi biding his time and gaining strength for the time which he is to be released, which will be upon us soon at this rate. If he is not stopped, what I have shown you will be the fate of this world and the fate of all mankind," the woman explained. Sasuke stared at her with a frown set on his features. What did she take him for? Some little kid easily vexed by fairy tales? "Impossible," he said, finding it hard to believe her.

"Is it now? You saw it for yourself, did you not?" she queried. Sasuke didn't respond. He couldn't deny that the images he'd seen were very realistic, almost as if he'd actually been there himself. But that didn't stop him from having his doubts. "Ok let's say I actually believe you. But what does this all have to do with me?" he asked.

"It has everything to do with you Sasuke. You are one of the last people alive who have inherited my power and thus one of the only ones capable of stopping Susano. But this is not a task you can complete alone. You must seek out the descendants of Fuijin and Raijin. Only when the three of you band together will you be able to defeat Susano," the woman said.

"What do you mean by _"inherited your power_?" Just who are you?" Sasuke queried. The woman smiled at him. "I go by many names, but am most commonly referred to as Amaterasu. And you, along with all other Uchiha, are my descendants. You inherited everything from Masato, the Sage of Six Paths, who was my son. I am also the reason you have such a string affinity to fire." Sasuke's eyes widened as her explanation made a shocking amount of sense. He'd known that the Uchiha were direct descendants of the Sage of Six Paths, only to find out now that he was the son of the legendary Sun Goddess Amaterasu herself. It would certainly explain why the proclaimed God of Shinobi and Father of Modern Day Ninja Arts came to be so powerful. Sasuke was lost in thought as he tried to process the new information presented to him. The Sun Goddess saw the young boy struggling in a mental debate with himself and moved forward, placing her hand of his shoulder. Sasuke's gaze snapped towards her and he found himself on the receiving end of a soft smile. "I know it's a lot to process right now Sasuke, but do not worry too much. I can sense great potential within you and if you can learn to control this new power of yours I have no doubt in my mind that you will succeed." She told him.

Sasuke nodded his gaze fell upon the armlet around his wrist. "But you must be careful Sasuke, for this power comes with a cost. If you cannot overcome the Curse of Hatred, then you it will consume you and slowly destroy you from within." She cautioned. Sasuke nodded but something confused him. "Curse of Hatred?"

Amaterasu let out a sigh. "Yes Sasuke. I would like to say it is nothing more than an ideal but it truly is a curse. Its origins date back to your first ancestor, Atsushi. After Masato named his youngest son Kazuhito, who later took up the name of Senju, as his successor, Atsushi became enraged. Consumed by his hatred, Atsushi took up the name Uchiha and waged war against his brother and thus began a cycle of hatred that transcended history and brought about a mutual hostility between the Uchiha and Senju," she explained. Sasuke remained silent as he digested what he'd just been told. "Sasuke, do you know what your clan treasured most above all?" the goddess asked.

The young Uchiha thought for a moment before his answer came to him. "The Sharingan?" he replied. Amaterasu merely shook her head. "It wasn't their bloodline, jutsu, or any other type of power. The Uchiha cherished love above all." She said. "Love?" Sasuke asked, looking as if he'd been insulted. "Yes Sasuke, love. Though it was not something they expressed openly, the Uchiha valued love above all, even more so than their own clan. But this also led to they're downfall. You see, when an Uchiha loses something dear to them, their love deteriorates into hatred. The despair caused by such an experience causes a special chakra to manifest in their brain, one that affects their optic nerves and leads to the creation of an eye that reflects feeling, the Sharingan," she explained to Sasuke, who seemed to be blown away by the revelation.

"Tell me Sasuke, did you love your family?" Amaterasu asked.

"Yes, with all my heart," he replied.

"And what did you feel when they were killed? When they were taken away from you?" she asked. Sasuke thought about it and his eyes widened in realization. "Hatred…"

"Exactly, hence why you possess the Sharingan. An Uchiha's mind is already warped by the despair and hatred they hold from experiencing the trauma of losing something dear to them. But when something happens to them that brings about even greater pain than the first traumatic event, their Sharingan morphs into the Mangekyō and they are driven further into darkness," she explained. "The armlet your wear now is something I forged for the Uchiha, in hopes that it would help them channel that hatred so that it would not consume them as it had Atsushi. But I failed; they only let their hatred fester even more. Hence why it is named **Nikushimi**, for it is the embodiment of the Uchiha Clan's hatred that has manifested over the years."

Sasuke stared down at the mysterious relic on his arm as he listened to her words. There was no doubt that it radiated a powerful, yet dark aura. Could this be the hatred she spoke of? "Sasuke." The teen turned to the goddess upon hearing his name. "My time is nearly up so I shall leave you with this. I can sense that you bear much hatred in your soul. Nikushimi feeds on this hatred and it can end up driving you mad. But if you can overcome your abhorrence, then and only then can you unlock Nikushimi's true potential and gain strength, strength that will allow you to banish Susano from this world forever," she told him. Amaterasu felt herself beginning to fade away and walked forward, placing her hand on Sasuke's shoulder once more.

"I believe in you Sasuke. Much like your brother and the few Uchiha before him, I believe that you can transcend the limitations of your clan. It is a lot to place on the shoulders of a boy as young as yourself, but the world is counting on you and the others. I'm counting on you," She said with a sincere smile as she began to evaporate. "But remember this: when all seems dark and you find yourself losing hope, just look deep within yourself. For there is a light there brighter than the sun itself that will throw back even the darkest of shadows." As the last words escaped her mouth, a bright light began to blanket the area and Sasuke had to cover his eyes as the sun goddess vanished from sight.

* * *

><p>Sasuke opened his eyes to find himself back in the old catacombs. He glanced around and saw Zoroark grinning at him. "I take it your meeting with Lady Amaterasu went well?" he queried. Sasuke ignored him and felt a sharp pain in his wrist. He clutched his arm and his eyes widened at what he saw. The armlet around his wrist began to expand and engulf more of his arm. It spread down to hand, encasing his fingers and it shot up his arm, stopping just short of his elbow. Where there was once flesh, there was now dark metallic claws and armor plating. Sasuke stared bewildered at his gauntlet of an arm. "The Nikushimi is already transforming in accordance with the hatred you hold within you. The more you let it consume you, the more it will spread until your body is completely encased in it. And should that ever happen…you will die," Zoroark explained.<p>

Sasuke turned from the fox and looked over his newly transformed arm. He flexed his fingers, trying to get a feel for Nikushimi. "Where to first?" he asked, not taking eyes off of his arm. Zoroark smirked. "First we must meet up with the other two descendants. It's been awhile, but if I remember correctly they should both be in Water Country by now. Our destination is Nadeshiko Village." Sasuke nodded as he rose to his feet. He stretched out his body before turning to Zoroark. "Lead the way," he said simply. The fox's grin, if even anatomically possible, widened even more as he began leading the way out of the old tomb, Sasuke following behind silently.

The young Uchiha had a lot to think about. Not only about what he learned of his brother, but what the Sun Goddess had shown him. At first, his mind was plagued with thoughts of annihilating Konoha for what they had done to his brother. But after meeting the Sun Goddess, that all changed. Though he was skeptical at first, she'd had shown him that there was a bigger threat at hand. If he and the other so called descendants didn't put a stop to it, it would be the end of the world as they knew it. _'Sorry Naruto…Tsuki. It seems we won't see each other as soon as I'd thought,' _he mused to himself as images of the smiling blondes appeared in his mind. His thoughts then shifted to his late brother. He was plagued by guilt at what he'd done to his brother. He'd been manipulated and his hatred had been used against him which led to his older sibling's demise. It was then and there that he vowed he would avenge his brother, one way or another.

"_Forgive Sasuke...It ends with this…" _Itachi's last words played over in his head, finally becoming clear to him.

'_No brother…' _Sasuke thought, unconsciously activating his Sharingan. But unbeknownst to him, it was beginning to morph. The three tomoe in each eye began spin slowly until his Sharingan took on a whole new shape completely. His sclera were now an ominous black and his irises bled a deep crimson as they took on the shape of six-pointed stars. Lastly, his once perfectly round pupils expanded into three pointed stars that rested in the center of the abstract design that was the Eternal Mangekyō Sharingan. _'It's only just beginning,' _He finished the train of thought as his eyes hardened and he continued to follow after Zoroark, setting out on the path that would lead him to his destiny.

* * *

><p>Well, there you have it. It really sucks that I'm putting this on hiatus but it can't be helped. I'll just have to work hard on Thunder Maidens and finish as soon as possible so i can come back to this. But be on the lookout. I might decide to throwing in an update every once and awhile. I can only ignore the ideas gnawing at the back of my mind for so long. This is it guys for awhile guys. I do suggest giving TM a chance. People really seem to take a liking to that story and the plot is beginning to open up.<p>

Anywho, off to work on TM. As always, R+R!


	24. Chapter 24

**Chapter XXIV**

* * *

><p>A hooded figure silently slid into a bar. The establishment was packed with bandits and rouges alike, all wandering about. Most were exchanging tales of their recent pillages in minor villages whilst others settled for drinking themselves into a drunken stupor. The man slowly pushed his way through the heated mass of bodies and alcohol towards the back of the bar. It was there he came upon a table where his target sat.<p>

He was a gruff looking man. His head was void of any hair, save for his thick eyebrows and the stubble of a beard that sprouted about his lower lace. He had piercing teal eyes and a scar that ran through the right one from his forehead down to his cheek. The scratched out Mist headband that hung around his neck was a clear indication that he was missing-nin. The man was flanked by two scantily dressed women that clung to him almost like a second skin, giggling as they meshed their bodies to his.

"I hope you didn't come here to cause trouble," the man said downing another cup of sake as he glanced at the mysterious figure before him.

"Quite the opposite actually," the man said holding up his hands defensively. "I've come looking for a man by the name of Shiro," he said.

"And what is your business with him?" The man asked as he propped his elbows on the table, wary of the person before him. Said person removed their hood to reveal a man with square-rimmed glasses and long brown hair that was drawn back into a ponytail. "My name is Kokuyō and I have a proposition for him." The bald man looked over the twig of a man before him. "I'm not particularly fond of propositions," he said dismissively as he down more sake.

Kokuyō only smirked. "How about one that promises as much money and women to you and your men's desire?" at this the man's eyebrow rose. "I'm listening…"

* * *

><p><p>

_'How do I keep getting myself into these situations…' _Naruto mentally questioned himself.

He found himself standing in the middle of a field that was completely sealed off by iron walls. There were a few random patches of grass here and there but it was mostly barren earth. Oh there was also a lone oak tree. He couldn't forget the lone oak tree. But none of this is what unnerved him. It was the _horde_ of screeching women raising hell in the stands.

Naruto was standing in a stadium the middle of Nadeshiko with nearly every pair of eyes in the village set on him. _'So this is the Lion's Den…' _Naruto thought solemnly to himself. He turned toward an elevated section in the stands. There in the private box he spotted his grandmother. She was giving him a look that said to just bear with it. He then spotted Tsuki who was staring at him with a determined expression, making him sigh. After she'd rose hell and wreaked terror all over the place in search of him, he'd been forced to tell her the truth. Of course, she was skeptical at first but Naminé was there to confirm his story. And that was when her age began to show as her imagination began to run wild at the prospect of being princess.

A slight squelching sound filled the air and Naruto turned to the person responsible for his current predicament. Yume stood in the press box with the other council members with a microphone in hand. Her voice echoed throughout the stadium due to the strategically placed speakers. "Sisters of Nadeshiko! On this day, you've all been gathered to witness a grand spectacle!" She spoke, eliciting a roar from the crowd. She turned her gaze toward the young blonde and leveled a glare at him. "I know there have been whispers floating around and I'm here to dispel all of them. This…_boy _who so claims to be of Namikaze blood thinks he can just waltz in and take over just because of an old birth right!"

Naruto would have thought her words to be borderline slander, but part of him actually believed it would be that easy. It was nothing more than a fleeting thought, but with his luck it wouldn't have surprised him. "I personally believe it's nothing more than a farce and some excuse for some _man _to get his grimy hands on our _assets_!" Yume said, earning an assault of affronts directed toward Naruto.

He actually frowned at that, picking up on the double meaning behind what she said. _'Someone obviously has issues with the male species. Surely I don't come off as a pervert…do I?' _

"But Lady Naminé herself has vouched for the boy," Yume continued. "But even if he is Namikaze like he claims, how can we put our faith in some kid to lead over us, let alone protect our home?" she questioned, once again getting a rise out of the crowd. Tsuki let out a small growl and Naminé began to rub her temple in annoyance. _'Shizuka-chan has been the head of the village since she was 15…this woman will stop at nothing.' _She cast a look toward her grandson and could sense the subtle killer intent he was letting off. _'Please Naruto-kun, don't do anything brash…'_

"Well the truth is we can't! I can't expect some gaki to protect my home without knowing what he's capable of! And who better to put him in his place than our beloved leader herself!" As if on cue, Shizuka flashed into existence before Naruto, making the audience go wild. The two teen's eyes met as they stared at one another. Naruto tilted his head slightly as he looked her over. _'Yep…definitely her…' _Shizuka only stood there in silence, watching him analytically.

"Boy," Yume said, much to the blonde's annoyance. "Today you'll must face Shizuka-sama in combat. If by some stroke of luck or fate you win, then, and _only then_, will we acknowledge you as a true a Namikaze fit to lead Nadeshiko." She smirked. She was in turn met with a raised hand from the boy.

"Oh, did you want to forfeit? Well lucky for you there's still some time," Yume grinned. Naruto only responded with a question of his own. "So I just have to win right?" The whole stadium seemed to go quiet at his words. Yume could only stare in confusion. "What was that?"

"I mean the way you speak of me with such disdain is nothing short of slander. My presence here obviously offends you all, and I'm willing to bet it's something beyond my understanding," he began. "But that doesn't change the fact that I was invited here by my grandmother, one of your village elders an-"

"I'M NOT OLD YOU BRAT!"

All eyes turned toward the private box from where the outburst emanated. There stood Naminé leaning over the railing waving her fist. Even from a distance, he could spot the vein bulging from her forehead. "Uh…I mean seasoned?" he tried.

"DAMN RIGHT AND DON'T YOU FORGET IT!" Naminé barked as she returned to her seat.

Naruto could only stare at his elde…_seasoned _grandmother with a blank expression. She'd completely shattered his train of thought. _'Why are all the women in my life so…troublesome?' _Naruto thought to himself, taking a page from the Nara Clan's book. And now he was supposed to rule a village full of man-eaters who had no respect for him. _'If I grab Tsuki now, I might be able to reach-'_

"Are you done stalling?" a voice interrupted his thoughts. Naruto turned to see Shizuka staring at him impassively. Her expression was stoic but he could since the slightest hint of annoyance. "I'm sorry didn't catch that."

"If you're done fooling around, I would like to get this. The sooner I drive you into the ground, the faster you can leave my village," Shizuka said. Much to her ire, the younger blonde put his hands inside the pockets of his coat and continued to stare at her blankly with a bored expression. "You're more than welcome to try."

The moment the words left his mouth, Shizuka's whole body flickered. Naruto took a step back, just barely avoiding the attempt at his jugular. Shizuka seemed to phased into existence, clutching a kunai. _'She's fast I'll give her that.' _Naruto found himself putting the late Orochimaru's training in evasion to use Shizuka began to lash out at him. The two seemed to dance across the arena floor, only the slightest slip up would result in the blonde's death. Shizuka lashed out with a roundhouse, which Naruto realized too late was a feint. This time, her kunai was successful at tearing into his throat. Only instead of a shower of blood, his body went up in a cloud of smoke.

A look of confusion crossed the young leader's features until she sensed movement behind her. She whipped her head around to spot an unharmed Naruto, his hand still jammed in his pockets. "You're not trying very hard," he said with the same bored expression.

Shizuka's eyes narrowed as she reached into her pouch and pulled out a handful of daggers. **_"Nadeshiko-style: Aerial Dance!"_** With extreme speed and precision, she launched the small knives at her opponent. Much to her annoyance, the blonde continued to evade her attacks, never once taking his hands out of his pockets. The kunoichi decided to take it up a notch. **_"Second Step: Spinning Waltz!" _**

Naruto watched in interest as Shizuka began to spin rapidly, her body blurring out of existence. A kunai zipped fast his face, just barely missing his whiskers. _'This can't be good…'_ Shizuka let loose a hail of kunai that rained down on Naruto's position at blinding speeds. Rather than remaining in one spot, Naruto began to backpedal. _'Not even Orochimaru threw kunai this fast! And that sadistic bastard actually tried to kill us!' _Naruto thought as another dagger whizzed past his ear. Though judging from her obvious annoyance earlier and the village's spite toward the male species, he had a suspicion she didn't care much for his life.

After nearly being impaled in the shoulder, Naruto grew annoyed. He flipped sideways over another wave of kunai and began channeling chakra in his feet, more specifically the seal at the base of his sandals. When Naruto land, he seemed to glide over the gravel and out of harm's way.

* * *

><p>"Oh that's so cool!" Tsuki gushed as she watched her brother skate around the arena, skillfully dodging all of Shizuka's daggers with ease.<p>

"Hm…Interesting…" Yahan observed. Naminé too was intrigued by her grandson's technique. "Yes, Naruto-kun is rather graceful. But he can't run from Shizuka-chan forever," she stated. Unlike the rest of her village, she was actually rooting for grandson. _'Come on Naruto-kun, prove them all wrong. Show them what the Namikaze can do!"_

* * *

><p>Shizuka used the last of her kunai and unleashed a shotgun blast at the blonde. Naruto flipped high into the air over the knives and slid to a halt. Shizuka glared at the younger ninja. He was dodging her attacks as if it were mere child's play. And to add insult to injury, not once had he removed his hands from his pockets. "Who do you think you are?" she snarled.<p>

"I acquainted myself with you yesterday Milady," Naruto spoke tonelessly.

"What game are you playing? Why are you here?" Shizuka questioned. That lax stance of his was irking her more and more with each passing second.

"I've stated my reasoning yesterday Milady. I was invited."

Shizuka's eyes narrowed. Even if Lady Naminé believed this boy to be her grandson, she wasn't convinced. _'That was just a cheap mimicry yesterday. Nothing more than a sick bastardized attempt of the Flying Thunder God. I'll expose him for the imposter that he is!'_

"Flattery will get you nowhere _boy._ You're no Namikaze. You're just a coward. A _real _Namikaze would never run from a battle in the way that you are now," Shizuka spat. Naruto's eyebrow twitched in annoyance. "Will all due respect _Milady_, this isn't much of a battle. With the way Yume-baa-san spoke so highly of you, I'd expected ore of you. Tsuki-chan put up a better fight than this." Naruto's statement earned a collective gasp from all of the bystanders.

_'Why that little…I am NOT old!' _Yume mentally raged.

"Oh no…" Yahan said grimly.

"Now you've done it Naruto-kun…" Naminé sighed. She'd seen that look in Shizuka's eyes many a times before.

The older Kunoichi only stared at the blonde blankly. Naruto noticed the slight twitch in her eye and began to think he might've went too far. He hated being written off and talked down to. She even had the nerve to insult his family name. He could, no _would not _let that go unchecked. But the silent kunoichi before him with a blank expression was more unnerving than when she was scowling and throwing kunai at him.

**_"Gale Fan!" _**Before Naruto could reacted, he was blasted off his feet and slammed into the circular wall circumscribing the field. This earned a roar of approval from the audience as the blonde pried himself loose and gathered his bearings. _'That attack had the strength of my Unrelenting Force and the range of Great Breakthrough. If I had to guess, her prowess with wind manipulation is on par, if not better than my own…'_ he thought.

"I'm going to kill you," Shizuka said menacingly as she walked forward. Her approach was halted when she saw Naruto take his hand out of his pockets. She immediately became weary of the subtle movement. _'He's been on the defensive until now. I'll have to be careful,' _she thought. She had to give him credit that his speed and evasion were amazing to have been able to dodge her attacks as long as he did. She would not give him the chance to test his offense.

Shizuka disappeared in a burst of speed that surprised the blond, only to appear above him. Her leg was humming with wind chakra and poised to strike. **_"Nadeshiko-Style: Roaring Hurricane Kick!" _**With no time to dodge this time, Naruto brought his arms up defensively. As the name implied, the force behind the attack was devastating. So much in fact that it completely shattered Naruto's guard and Shizuka foot drove him into the ground. Hard. She smirked when she saw his unmoving, limp form. It quickly disappeared when he burst in a cloud of smoke.

"Fine…" a voice spoke behind her, catching her attention. Shizuka turned on a dime to see Naruto leaning against the lone tree in the arena. His eyes were closed and his arms were folded across his chest. "I'll play your game," Naruto said. The blonde soon vanished from sight. An alarm went off in Shizuka's head and she ducked, just out of reach of an axe kick that would've taken her head clean off. She quickly somersaulted, only for Naruto to reappear right before her.

This set off an intense bought of taijutsu between the two. Naruto continued to pound away at her defenses while Shizuka threw a counter every chance she could. She did not however have a counter for the blonde's next move. After raising his leg to evade a low kick, Naruto brought it back down with extreme force. It was enough to make the whole stadium shake and for Shizuka's focus to slip in order to keep her footing.

In one swift motion, Naruto swept the distracted kunoichi off of her feet and took hold of her ankles. Just like he'd done to Hidan weeks before, he slammed Shizuka into the ground before launching her toward the heavens. He then sent a kunai after the skyward bound kunoichi. Shizuka shook the dizziness that consumed her away, just in time to elude a stray kunai. However, she did not expect said kunai transform in Naruto and lash out with another kunai. She easily slipped past his attacked and disarmed him. She drove his own weapon into the blonde's chest. He dispelled with a pop, revealing it to be yet another shadow clone.

Shizuka spotted her real opponent on the ground and began freefalling. Once she reached terminal velocity, she began manipulating the air around her to speed up her descent. Naruto glanced towards the sky to see Shizuka diving straight at him. He also noticed she was gather chakra, and a lot of it. _'That looks…troublesome…' _

**_"Nadeshiko-Style: Roaring Gale Fist!"_**

Shizuka came crashing down in the stadium, driving her fist into the ground with an earth-shattering impact. Her attack made the entire stadium shake once more. Fissures began to erupt throughout the field and now Naruto was struggling to keep his footing. His momentary lapse in concentration was enough for Shizuka to knock him of his feet with a sliding tackle. She continued her assault by pushing off the ground with her hands and delivered a crushing roundhouse that sent her opponent spiraling.

Naruto quickly spun in mid-air to recover and nimble landed on the wall of the arena. A gust of wind erupted around him from the sheer momentum of his flight. _'That one actually hurt. It's time to end this…' _He thought as he gracefully dropped to the dirt. Naruto quickly weaved three hand signs.

**_"Wind Style: Unrelent-"_**

His attack was interrupted when the ground burst beneath Shizuka's feet, a smokescreen of dust spreading throughout the area. The dirt cleared away to reveal a metallic humanoid constructed that was clutching the village leader with a massive hand. Naruto turned at the sound of laughter to spot a man emerge from nowhere. "Finally! You're finally mine Shizuka-chan, as is all of Nadeshiko!" he cackled. Naruto immediately recognized him as the puppeteer from the day prior._ 'Not this clown again…"_

At the sight of seeing their leader captured, and in middle of the village no less, the proud kunoichi of Nadeshiko were enraged. But no one dared to make a move lest they risk their leader's life. Well, almost no one.

"That bastard!" Tokiwa snarled as her hand went to the handle of her katana. She was about to jump down to free her mistress when a hand stopped her. She turned and glared at it's owner, Yahan, for stopping her.

"Wait," Naminé spoke before she could. "I want to see how Naruto-kun handles the situation," she said calmly.

"Are you crazy?!" Yume barked. "Shizuka-sama's life is at stake and you want us to leave it in the hands of that _boy_? He can't be trusted!"

"That_ boy_ is my grandson," Naminé said icily, silencing the councilwoman. "And how do you know that if we never give him a chance?" she questioned. No one came forth to break the silence. "As I thought." She had complete unwavering faith in the blonde. _'Come on Naruto-kun…don't let us down…"_

Back in the arena, Shizuka was steadily trying to wiggle her way out of the construct's hand, but its grip remained firm. "Give in Shizuka-chan! Don't make this harder than it has to be," Kokuyō laughed.

"Hey, you with the saggy face," a voice called out.

The puppeteer turned his gaze to catch sight of a blonde teenager standing on the other side of the field. His eyes narrowed when he recognized the boy as the one who ruined his plans yesterday. "You will not stand in my way this time!" he spat. Naruto only smirked as he drew his sword with a flourish before returning it to its sheathe. "Sure about that?" Kokuyō nearly laughed at the boy's idiocy until he felt the chakra running from his fingers go slack. What he didn't notice was the blade of wind Naruto shot off that easily tore through his chakra strings.

With the connection to its master severed, Shizuka was able to pry herself loose from the puppet's clutches. She channeled wind chakra into her feet and drove them straight into the puppet's face. She quickly jumped away before it exploded and landed next to Naruto. Shizuka glared at the foul man before her. "You've been a thorn in my side for far too long. I'm going to put an end to you once and for all!"

A grin split Kokuyō's features. "Is that right?" unbeknownst to the kunoichi, a red seal matrix began to form on her abdomen. Naruto and majority of the bystanders watching flinched when a bloodcurdling scream escaped Shizuka. Her body slumped to the ground as she convulsed in pain. Naruto bent down to help her in any way possible. But before he could, Shizuka was snatched off the ground by an invisible force. Within seconds, her body was hovering just in front of Kokuyō. More chakra threads were running from his fingers that clung to Shizuka's limp form.

Naruto glared at the man and took a step forward, only to be halted by the man's voice. "I would've do that. You see, this technique is very special," Kokuyō spoke saccharinely. "I call it **_Hundred Puppet Soul _Binding**. You see each time someone destroys one of my puppets, a bit of my chakra is bolted into their body. Shizuka-chan here just destroyed her hundredth one, which allowed me to take complete control over her body," he cackled. Naruto only level a glare at the man. It was all he could do at the moment. The women in the stands were in an uproar and calling for blood. But just like the blonde teen, they refused to make any sort of attempt at rescuing their leader.

"Now, Shizuka-chan and I are going to take a little trip. And upon our return, I will rule over all of Nadeshiko!" he declared. Naruto took another step forward, making Kokuyō frown. "And should anyone try to follow us…" his voice trailed as Shizuka's began to cry out in pain. Her screams echoed throughout the stadium before she fell into unconsciousness. "Nadeshiko will be mine!" The mad puppeteer cackled as he threw down a smoke pellet. The black cloud dispersed and Kokuyō had vanished, along with Shizuka.

Pandemonium. The entire village was in complete, utter pandemonium. Kunoichi were already scouring the village top to bottom in search of their missing empress. The civilians were running around in panic, only further adding to the disarray. Naminé could only watch in horror as her village fell into chaos. "Hibiki, Hikari I want you to fan out and help search for Shizuka-chan," she ordered.

"Yahan, I want you to take Tsuki-chan and keep her safe."

"Right away milady," the tanned woman made to grab the smaller blonde but she was met with surprising resistance. "But what about big brother?" Naminé turned to see Naruto hadn't moved since the man disappeared with Shizuka. He was just standing there with his eyes closed, as if he were concentrating. "Naruto-kun! We don't have time for this! we need to-" The blonde teen suddenly phased out of existence. "To find…Shizuka-chan…"

"Oh that man is in for it now!" Tsuki exclaimed. Naminé turned to the smaller blonde to see her practically shaking with excitement. "What do you mean Tsuki-chan?" a confused Naminé queried. "That man is going to make big brother angry. He won't like it when big brother is angry!" Tsuki could only grin as she leapt over the balcony and ran off to find her brother.

"Tsuki w-!" It was too late. Yahan's words fell on deaf ears as the small blonde merged into the chaos. _'Naruto-kun was right…she is quite the handful. _The elder blonde sighed. "Yahan, we must find her before she gets into trouble," Naminé said as she grabbed her cane.

"But Milady, what about Lady Shizuka?" the tanned woman queried. Naminé could only sigh as she wrapped her shawl around her neck. "At this point, we'll have to leave it up to Naruto-kun. I just hope he isn't too late…"

* * *

><p><p>

Kokuyō was moving as fast as he could whilst toting the unconscious leader of Nadeshiko. He wasn't particularly conditioned for high speed chases as such and Shizuka's dead weight made the task even more cumbersome. He was nearly at the front gate when a kunai nicked his cheek. He glanced over his shoulder tosspot several kunoichi tailing him.

"Stop him! He has Shizuka-sama!" one of them yelled to the gate guards, who promptly blocked his path out of the village. The puppeteer only smirked and threw down a handful of smoke pellets. The two guards took defensive stances as the black cloud enveloped them. It dispersed in a matter of seconds and Kokuyō was nowhere to be seen. "Where'd he go?!" one guard yelled.

"We have to find him quick!" other exclaimed.

"Oh? We're you ladies looking for little ole me?" a voice taunted behind them. Both whirled around and flinched at the sight. There stood the aged puppeteer, smirking at him. But he wasn't alone. Behind him stood an army of bandits. The mass of hooligans and ruffians were packed onto the bridge, all armed to the teeth. By now, the rest of the Kunoichi had shown up, taking up positions atop and around the main gate.

"Surely you all didn't think I would just take over an entire village by my lonesome?" Kokuyō smirked. "Alright boys, these are the wonderful beauties I promised. All you have to do is make the bow before you and they'll be bound to you for the rest of their days!" His proclamation seemed to encourage the lust-driven horde of males. Many of the kunoichi frowned at this. The puppeteer's words held truth to them. The army of kunoichi drew their weapons, fancying being wed to any of the deviants before them.

But before either side could make their charge, a crouching Naruto landed in front of the gate. His arrival was sudden that a shockwave of wind pulsed when he appeared. "Sadly, the same can't be said for me," he stated rising to his full height. He gauged the mass of mongrels before him, figuring their numbers to be somewhere close to seven hundred. It reminded him of the time Orochimaru had him and Sasuke take down fifteen hundred of his strongest ninja. And these men were nothing more than mere bandits. Kokuyō scowled at the Naruto's arrival. He was about to speak when he noticed movement behind the blonde.

Tokiwa landed just behind Naruto with her sword drawn. She walked forward as calmly as she could manage, only to be stopped when Naruto held an arm in front of her. "Move aside boy! I must save my mistress!" she barked.

"No, leave this to me. Your mind is unfocused and clouded by anger. You won't last longer than five minutes," he stated. "Why you!" Tokiwa attempted to push her way past the teenager, only to be knocked on her backside by another pulse of wind. She leveled a glare at the boy but flinched when she saw him staring down at him with intense red eyes. "I said stay back. That goes for all of you!" he yelled out. Many of the women were enraged by his words but once they noticed the killer intent the blonde, they decided to stay silent. Most figured that they could just let him waste as many of the bandits as he could before being cut down, then move in to take out the rest. Two birds, one stone.

Kokuyō smirked at the boy's proclamation. He must truly be an idiot if he thought he could take them all on by himself. "5,000,000 Ryo to the man who brings me the boy's head!" Kokuyō yelled before retreating deeper into the crowded bridge. The bandit were even more riled up at the prospect of earning even more money. With savage war cries, the mass charged at their new target. Naruto remained calm as the horde came for him. If anything, he was actually a little excited. It had been a long time since he was able put his skills to good use instead of holding back. At least they would provide a suitable challenge, no more like mobile training dummies that he could smack around to his heart's content.

Naruto's body flickered and he appeared in front of the closest bandit. "You're slow," she stated before delivering a roundhouse that sent the man sailing. They were moving much to slow in his eyes and he decided to meet them head on. One man lunged at him with a sword but his wrist was easily caught by the blonde. He was then used to bat away two more assailant before being tossed over the side of the bridge. Naruto continued to pummel the rouges as they came for him, using non-lethal techniques to incapacitate them. He wasn't in the mindset to spill blood today. They might have the advantage of numbers, but he had the advantage of speed. After breaking one man's arm and kicking him into his cohorts, Naruto decided to even the odds a bit. **_"Shadow Clone Jutsu!" _**Four clones spawned at his side. "Alright, let's dance."

* * *

><p><p>

Like many of the women around her, Naminé could only stare at her grandson in awe. She was standing atop the large gate alongside Yahan, her twin apprentices, and a chain bound Tsuki. The small blonde proved to be elusive so it was for her own good. "Naruto-sama is strong, but surely he can't take on all of them?" Hibiki questioned as she watch the ensuing fight on the bridge. This elicited a growl from Tsuki.

"What? Big brother is the best! This is nothing to him!"

"Tsuki-chan I realize that you idolize your brother, but even he must have his limits," Yahan said as she gripped the chain binding the tiny blonde. She made an effort to escape every few seconds. "No, you're wrong! This isn't nearly as many as how many he's faced before!" Tsuki exclaimed, earning skeptical looks from everyone within earshot.

"What do you mean Tsuki-chan?" Naminé queried, intrigued by the young blonde's outburst.

"One time, that nasty, old snake made and brother and Sasuke-nii take on a whole army and it was twice as big as this one!" Tsuki stated. This started a string of whispers throughout the gathering of kunoichi. Most were intrigued whilst other wrote it off as nothing more than the child's overactive imagination. Naminé too was doubtful of her words, but as she watched her grandson in action, she felt there may be some merit to her words.

"Well, he certainly is handling himself pretty well," she commented.

* * *

><p><p>

Naruto kicked away another bandit before uppercutting one over the side of the bridge. He and his four clones were slowly, but steadily pushing through their ranks.

**_"Earth-Style: Erratic Stalagmites!" _**

Naruto eyes widened at the call of the jutsu. He flipped backwards to a safe distance just as stony spikes erupted from where he once stood. _'So there are missing-nin as well? That certainly changes things…' _Naruto mused. The small surprise had caught him off guard unfortunately it cost him one of his shadow clones. He would be sure to not let it happen again. The sight of a man jumping into high into the air caught his attention. He was rapidly weaving hand signs. Naruto was quick to jump, intent on stopping whatever jutsu he planned to release.

**_"Water-sty-"_**

"No you don't!" Naruto grab the man before he could finish. He drove a knee into the man's stomach as he released a current of electricity across his body. Naruto then drove his heel into the man's chest and kicked away, sending the convulsing man crashing into more of his cohorts. Naruto slid to a stop as he hit the ground. He stood up and smoothly drew his sword from its scabbard before dispelling his remaining clones. They would only end up being destroyed in the process.

Many of the bandits took a precautious step backwards as they watched the teen casually twirl the blade in his hand. "Come now," the blonde smirked. "I don't bite." Naruto slashed horizontally at the air in front of him. Almost immediately, the score of men closest to him were thrown backwards. Naruto shot forth and began hacking into the mass of rouges, not giving them the chance to recover. Their screams permeated the air, along with a few limbs. It was a few hands, fingers, and occasional arm here and there, nothing too lethal. They would be writing in pain for a few days, but they would survive. Granted they found the proper medical attention.

**_"Water-Style: Roaring Torrent Jutsu!"_**

Naruto flipped sideways out of the path of the raging wave and thrust his hand in the direction of the voice. **_"Eight-trigrams: Air Palm!" _**Wind pulsed from his hand and crashed into a wall of men, sending them spiraling. It was a technique he'd happened stumble upon in Orochimaru's extensive library of stolen jutsu. It was meant to strike at an opponent's chakra network from a distance without them ever being the wiser. Instead it was bastardized down to his needs as a really powerful wind jutsu. Kind of like what Sasuke did with the Sixty-Four Palms and a pair of kunai…

"Naruto-kun!" At the sound of his name, the blonde spared a glance toward the gate and spot his grandmother flagging him down. "You need to recover Shizuka-chan! That man must not escape!" she yelled at him. Naruto redirected his gaze towards the mainland to faintly make out the form of Shizuka's captor. He narrowed his eyes as the bandits began to surround him. He needed to end this now.

As the men charged, seven shadow clones spawned into existence and began driving them back. As his clones fended off the attackers, he began to form a Rasengan. It was twice as big as a normal one and he began to steadily mix in his wind chakra. It was an experimental technique he stumbled upon while developing the Rasenshuriken. He'd tested it on a small scale before and was pleased with the results. But in all truth, with the amount of chakra he was using, he wasn't exactly sure what would happen. _'Only one way to find out…' _A high pitched screech permeated the air as Naruto began to condense the mass of swirling chakra in his hand.

* * *

><p><p>

"What is that god awful noise?" Hikari yelled as she covered her ears with her hand, emulating the actions of many around her.

"Big brother's going to blow something up!" Tsuki gasped. Naminé turned to the smaller blond to see her shaking…with anticipation. She directed her attention back towards the bridge to see the small sphere of chakra her grandson held was quivering unstably. The excitement in his sister's voice wasn't exactly inspiring _'That…can't be good…'_

* * *

><p><p>

Naruto took a step back as his clones managed to round his attackers in front of him and away from the gate. His whole arm was trembling as his jutsu began rapidly destabilizing. He needed to get rid of it and quick lest he planned to go about his life with just one arm. That and the wailing jutsu was making his ears ring. A barking laugh drew his attention as large, bald man emerged from within the ranks of the bandits. The way they gave him a wide berth led him to believe he was either really strong or their leader, most likely both.

Shiro stared down at the blonde teen before him. The puppeteer had said there would be opposition but this was ridiculous. It was just some mere kid. He obviously had some sort of training which would explain how he was tearing through his men's ranks. And that small mass of energy in his hand was very foreboding. "Heh…to think you all were getting slaughtered by a mere child," he scoffed, making the blonde's eyes narrow. Naruto body flickered and Shiro gasped in pain as all the air left his body. He glanced down in horror to see the boy's elbow driven into his solar plexus. "You die first," Naruto stated coldly as he thrust his other hand into the man's sternum. **_"Wind-Style: Wind Tunnel!"_**

The moment the small ball of energy touched the man's chest, it detonated. Hurricane force winds exploded in anger and began to sweep through his army. A massive tornado spawn from the point of impact and began drilling into the unsuspecting horde of men. Those closest were ripped apart by the slicing winds while those fortunate enough to be farther back where merely swept up and flung in every direction. Naruto himself was thrown backwards but safely landed just in front of the gate. He'd managed to take the explosive power of the Rasenshuriken and force it in a single direction. His small-scale tests proved destructive but this was…

"Catastrophic…" the blonde whispered as he watched bodies and limbs fly through the air. _'So much for not spilling any blood…' _Naruto thought cryptically as he looked over a large section of the stone-paved bridge that was painted with the sticky, crimson fluid. He turned his gaze toward the remaining thugs. They were all staring at the scene before them in a mix of disgust and horror. Naruto drew his sword one more and began walking towards them, careful not to step on any severed appendages. It was already going to be a pain to clean blood off his white sandals. As he drew nearer to the quivering men, he narrowed his eyes. "If you want to live I sugge-"

"We're all gonna die!"

"Run for your lives!"

"Mommy!"

Naruto blinked rapidly as girlish squeals echoed across the bridge and the mass of criminals scattered to the four winds. Backtracking across the bridge took much to long for many of them and leapt over the side of the bridge, opting to take their chances with the raging rapids below. Just as long as they escaped from the blonde devil child.

"Hey where are you going?!" Kokuyō yelled after the retreating men. "Get back here! It's just one kid!" he turned back toward the bridge and spotted the blonde walking towards him, sword drawn, at an ominously slow pace. "Return Lady Shizuka and I _might _let you walk away with your life." Part of Naruto wished he would just drop Shizuka, turn tail, and flee like the rest of the men. Unfortunately, fate never really was one to let him have his way.

"Why you insolent little runt! Nadeshiko will be mine!" Kokuyō proclaimed as a large cloud of smoke engulfed his position. Naruto heard a lot of grinding and clanking which made him take a precautious step back. _'Whatever it is, it sounds big…'_ The blonde had no idea how right he was. The smoke slowly began to drift away with the wind. "Son of a…"

Big was nowhere near the right term to describe the construct before him. Naruto stared up at the monstrosity of a puppet, bewildered as to how one man had the time, energy, and space to build such a thing. Kokuyō smirked as he stood atop his greatest creation, the Scorpion. Ever since he'd learned of Nadeshiko, he'd began putting together this project over the years. He'd learned from his many defeats at the hands of Shizuka and other Nadeshiko kunoichi. He came to understand their techniques and developed sufficient defense against each. Now there was nothing stopping him from taking the kunoichi village from his own. Save for the annoying little pest before him.

Naruto eyed the metal plated puppet critically. He doubted he would be able to break through it only his sword alone. He swung his blade in a wide arc, casting out a blade of with. The puppeteer only laughed as it dispersed on contact. "My turn!" The beast's claws began to shift and split down the middle, each revealing ten long iron barrels that were closely cropped together. The barrels started spinning before spitting out kunai an alarming rate.

Naruto's eyes widened as he began backpedalling away from the hail of metal. But no matter where he went, the knives continued to rain down on him. The blonde quickly channel chakra to his sandals and began gliding across the bridge, picking up speed considerably. Kokuyō only laughed maniacally as he continued his ruthless assault.

* * *

><p><p>

"Tsuki-chan…please tell me your brother has faced something like this before as well…"

The small blonde shook her head in horror. "I've never seen anything that big…" they were all watching in shock as the young Namikaze was put on the defensive. The beast was now lashing out with its massive tail, trying to strike down its elusive prey. All the while, the claws never stopped firing kunai.

"Lady Naminé…we must do something! He'll be killed at this rate!" a shaky Hibiki exclaimed. "What can we do Hibiki-chan?" the elder questioned, asking the unspoken question that was plaguing everyone's minds. Truth be told, they were all unsure how to handle the situation. It was unlike anything they'd ever encountered before.

"We must put our faith in Naruto-sama." All eyes turned in the direction of the newcomer's voice to spot Lucario. The jackal was standing with his arms folded across his chest, watching the battle. "Naruto-sama is strong. This situation isn't beyond his abilities. He will prevail," he said with absolute conviction. All eyes turned toward the struggling Naruto. Naminé really wanted to believe Lucario's words, but the situation was just too dire. _'No! If Lucario believes in Naruto-kun, then so must I!' _she thought with determination. "Lucario, for all of our sake's, I hope you're right…"

* * *

><p><p>

Kokuyō scowled at the elusive blonde. It was fun to toy with him in the beginning, but now he was just getting annoyed. "Fine then, no more holding back!" the scorpion ceased firing kunai, much to the blonde's relief, and crouched low to the ground. "You know what they say about playing with fire, you're likely to get burned!" Kokuyō exclaimed. Naruto's eyes widened and he began channelling chakra as he held his sword in front of him. Manipulating his wind chakra, he began spinning his sword just as the giant puppet exhaled a stream of fire from its mouth.

Naruto's sword had picked up enough momentum to erect a wall of wind in front of him and the scorching flames were directed away from him. Naruto cursed as he felt the air around him heat up. The fact that wind was naturally weak against fire was common knowledge to him, but this was the only barrier he could deploy fast enough. The blonde struggled as he channeled more and more chakra into his shield. His reserves were draining rapidly, and he didn't have much left after his tornado stunt. "I won't last much longer if this keeps up!" he ground out. His frustration quickly distorted into anger as his eyes grew slits and bled crimson. "Time to finish this!" He let out a high pitched whistle and the sound of cracking thunder could be heard shortly after.

Kokuyō grin grew wider with each passing second. The loud boom concerned him, but he did not let it distract him from the task at hand. There was a flash of purple light and the side of the scorpion exploded, making the construct stumble. As a result, the stream of fire was cut off and Naruto was free to drop his shield.**_ 'Zen Headbutt!' _**he thought as he snatched his sword out of the air. Kokuyō was vigilantly scanning the area, try to ascertain the location of the hidden assailant when something struck the face of his puppet with great force. It clanked loudly as his was pushed back, much to the puppeteer's confusion.

Naruto quickly sheathed his blade and summoned lightning to his fist. He skated forward in a burst of speed, not willing to give his opponent a chance to recover. _'Don't let up! Keep him staggered,' _he mentally commanded. More amethyst light lit up the sky and the colossal puppet was littered with explosion. Naruto drew closer to one of the constructs legs and drew back his fist. "Let's see how you handle this!" he drove his arm forward and his hand tore into the metal plating with ease. Naruto kept his moment as he moved onto the next leg.

Kokuyō frustration was steadily rising. Something or someone was littering his puppet with high-powered explosive while the blonde brat was carving into it. His defenses weren't holding up like he'd originally planned and it wouldn't be long until his armor's integrity was completely compromised. "Enough!" he roared. The scorpion began stomping its legs in an effort to stomp the blonde into the ground. Naruto saw one leg land in front of him and knew he had too much momentum to simply go around it. With a hard leap, held lightning-entrenched hand in front of him dove right out it. With the Chidori's high penetrating power combined with his built up speed, he was able to cleanly pierce through the reinforced armor.

Naruto quickly rolled and bounced to his feet, flipping away to a safe distance. Another explosion racked the scorpion's side, prompting it to begin flailing its tail wildly. With dumb luck, it struck something. Kokuyō saw a blue and white creature phase into existence. "Latios!" Naruto exclaimed when he saw dragon stumble through the air. Latios quickly recovered and dove under one of the bridge's archways to avoid being hit by the puppet's tail once more. Naruto was so focused on his dragon that he almost didn't see the massive leg descending upon him. The blonde bit back a curse as he dove over the side of the bridge. Kokuyō saw the boy disappear from sight only to reemerge shortly after, riding on the strange beast's back.

_'That thing's armor should be weak enough now…' _Naruto mused as they circled the scorpion. It lashed out with it tail once more, prompting Latios to climb higher into the sky. Kokuyō watched guardedly as they began to ascend._ 'What's he up to now?' _

As Latios took them higher into the atmosphere, Naruto began channeling the Nine-Tails' chakra and entered the One-Tail state. It wasn't an act he was particularly fond of doing but he just didn't have enough of his own left for what he planned to do. It was going to be crazy, reckless, and just a tad bit suicidal but it was the only thing he could think of to take down the giant puppet. A red Rasengan surged to life in his palm and began to spin with wind chakra. It only took a few seconds for it to let out an ear-piercing screech his strongest technique announced its presence. Naruto leapt and began to freefall back towards the earth, the wailing jutsu trailing behind him. He send a mental command to Latios and the dragon took off with great speed.

He began to fire more blasts at the colossal puppet as he descended. Kokuyō tried his best to evade them but his but was just too big for such swift movements. Latios let off one last blast before sweeping just over the puppeteer head. Kokuyō flinched as the dragon shot past him and look of confusion set on his features. He was broken out of his stupor by a high-pitched shriek. **_"Wind-Style: Rasenshuriken!" _**A pillar of crimson light rose from the center of the puppet briefly before it expanded in violent storm with a concussive bang. The red dome completely enveloped the scorpion in a prison of violent winds. Its body began to slowly disintegrate as it was assaulted by countless wind blades. The sphere continued to rage for a few seconds before dissipating. Where the large puppet once stood was now a jagged pile of obliterated metal.

There was a flash of orange light and Naruto's body skipped across the bridge before skidding to a halt. The blonde was lying on his back and breathing heavily. The only thing that had protected him from his own attack was the cloak of infernal chakra enveloping him, which slowly retreating. The Nine-Tail's power made the technique significantly more potent. The microscopic wind blades had grown to about the size of senbons and were much more lethal now. "Well at least it worked…" Naruto breathed heavily as he glanced at the shredded remains of his opponent. The simple act of lifting his head was a struggle. His whole body felt like it was being weighed down and even the slightest of movement were a chore.

Latios appeared above his master and tilted his head as he stared down at the immobile blonde. In his mouth, he held up a slumbering Shizuka by the back of her shirt. "Nice work boy!" Naruto smirked. He'd instructed Latios to distract Kokuyō and safely extract the kunoichi from the blast radius. A loud crashed caught his attention and he slowly lifted his head to gaze farther down the bridge. His eyes widened at the sight of Kokuyō knocking aside the remains of his puppet._ 'How the hell did he survive?!'_

Pain was the only thing that registered in the aged puppeteer's mind. His whole body ached and he struggling to keep his foot. He didn't know what happened, but whatever it was, it had left his life's greatest work in shambles. He managed to escape death by encasing himself in a protective shell using the last of his chakra and sinking deeper into his puppet. But even still, he ended up with a few lacerations. He was hurting, but he would survive. Kokuyō turned his gaze toward the blonde to see him lying prone on the ground. That strange creature was there as well, holding up his prize in its mouth.

"Damn you boy! You couldn't leave well enough alone! You couldn't just mind your own dam business could you?!" Kokuyō roared. He brandished a kunai and began slowly trudging towards the downed teen. Naruto was willing every muscle in his fiber to move as the enraged puppeteer stumbled his way down the bridge. But they were being more resilient than one of his sister's more stubborn streaks. A soft moan reached his ears and glanced up.

Shizuka was beginning to stir and she reentered the land of the living with a pained groan. Her eyes fluttered briefly, trying to adjust to the light, and she slowly scanned her surroundings. The first thing that came to her attention was that she was no longer in the arena. She'd somehow ended up on the bridge connected her village to the mainland. A tuff of blonde hair caught her eye and she glanced down to see Naruto sprawled out on the ground. The blonde looked as if he was struggling to move. The sight of her legs dangling also brought to her attention that she wasn't even touching the ground. She craned hurt neck and was shocked to see she was being held by a blue and white dragon of sorts. _'How long have I been out? And what the hell happened to this place?" _she pondered. The ground was literally painted with blood and lacerations littered the stone in any places. It was during her survey that she caught sight of her attacker. He was slowly making his way toward their position and he was wielding a kunai. His body was covered with sweat, blood, and cuts all over. She leveled a glare at the man which made him come to a halt. "Put me down," Shizuka commanded, to which Latios complied. Anger radiated off the woman like the heat of fire and he wanted no part of what was about to happen next.

Shizuka landed with grace and turned her gaze toward the prone Naruto. "I take it he is responsible for this?" she queried. "It was more of my own doing really," the blonde chuckled. Her gaze lingered on the boy momentarily before it was directed towards the frozen puppeteer. "You! I'll end you once and for all!" she said venomously as she purposely strode toward him.

Fear locked Kokuyō's body in place and he felt the blood running through his go cold. The blonde was troublesome enough to deal with and now there the enraged kunoichi, who was in peak condition. "Now, now Shizuka-chan this was all a misunderstanding. How about I just leave now and never bother you or your village ever again?" he tried as the woman drew closer. His answer came in the form of a vicious right hook that shattered his jaw. Shock didn't even has time to register on his features before and uppercut to his chin sent him stumbling backwards.

Shizuka relentlessly drove her fists into the man, not giving him an inch. Kokuyō felt a jab to his abdomen that expelled all the air in his lungs before being sent flying by a severe roundhouse. As the broken man sailed through the air, part of him was wishing that he had quit while he was ahead. He could've easily slipped away while the blonde was wreaking havoc on the bandits, but no. He'd wanted to see the life drain from the boy's eye. And the miserable Shiro was of no use at all. The man died within seconds of confronting the teen. By now, Kokuyō was falling head first toward the ground and with any luck, the impact would offer him a swift death. But fathead other plans and bled his luck dry.

He was a mere meter off ground when Shizuka appeared before him with her arm drawn back. There was wind violently whipping around her fist. "Ah shi-"

**_"Roaring Gale Fist!"_**

Shizuka connected with the man's face and the sheer force of the impact killed him instantly. His body was torn to shreds by the tempest of wind chakra as it limply sailed through the air. It landed on the far side of the bridge with a sickening squelch and slid to a halt, leaving behind a sizable trail of blood. Satisfied, Shizuka turned and walked back toward her village. By now, majority of the kunoichi had shaken their stupor and leapt off the gate greet their awakened leader. Naruto felt someone rapidly approaching him and his whole body when stiff, only to relax when sensed a familiar presence.

"Tio-chan" a shrill voice exclaimed. Before the dragon could react, he felt a new weight crash onto his back as a small pair of arms encircled his neck. He let out a grunt of annoyance a Tsuki nuzzled her face against his back. "Oh stop it you! You know you love it!" the small blonde chided playfully. Naruto felt another presence and found himself looking up into a pair of slanted red eyes. "Well done Naruto-sama," Lucario stated, standing above the blonde with his arms folded across his chest. "I'm glad you are well too Lady Shizuka," he said turning to the newcomer. Naruto tilted his head and spotted Shizuka standing over his as well. "So it's finally over I see?" he question.

"It is. That man will never bother me or my people ever again," Shizuka stated impassively.

"I see…well in that case I' going to pass out now," the blonde said tiredly. Today was just supposed to be simple spar of sorts and it somehow escalated into a battle of near epic proportions. At least epic on his part considering it was mostly one-sided. And now he was completely drained and was more than happy to let sleep's gentle embrace take him. _'Seems nothing in my life can ever go right…' _was the last thought that ran through Naruto's mind as he floated out of consciousness.

* * *

><p>I'd like to apologize once again for the year long wait. I've been super busy and I'm not even finished with Thunder Maidens like I'd hope to be. But as I stated before, I refuse to let this story go unfinished.<p>

Now before everyone rips this chapter apart, it was totally rushed and not even I'm satisfied with it (Hasn't even been proofread yet so if you guys spot anything I'd appreciate it if you let me know). I'm preparing to go on leave next week back home to see my family and wanted to get this up before it slipped my mind. The good thing is that I'll be home for a month so I'll revise and repost sometime in the next two weeks.

The Wind Tunnel was derived exactly from Miroku's in Inuyasha. Just picture it doing the exact opposite with the properties of wind from the Narutoverse.

In Naruto's actual fight with Shizuka, not once did he attack and he still beat her so I feel my fight was pretty accurate.

Shiro was absolutely irrelevant. I used suspense to over-hype him. Kind of like every anime/manga when the main character unleashes their power for the first time.

And yes I know Naruto destroyed a puppet last time, but for the sake of argument, Shizuka had already destroyed 99 beforehand.

Lastly for anyone that made it this far, I'm going to rework the earlier chapters a bit like I did with TM. Completely disregard any ANs that are posted now. I was young, imature, and a little hotheaded towards criticism back then. Now, I could personally careless if it's not constructive.

And I think that's it...

As usual, R+R, spread the word, and let me know what you think.

P.S. I also recommend reading TM to those that haven't. I like to think it pretty good. People also gripe that it's not a true crossover but it is. They're just salty that there aren't any evident elements from the Narutoverse until the middle of the story.


End file.
